Hunters
by BlazeorFade
Summary: Set after Devil's Trap. The Winchesters find a girl who's family the demon destroyed seventeen years ago and who's being hunted by the supenatural. No pairings. Feedback welcome.
1. Chapter 1

Title: Hunter

Rating: T to be safe for now

Spoilers: Season 1

Warnings: Angst, violence, snark all the good stuff.

Summary: After Devil's Trap the Winchester men meet a young woman who's family the demon destroyed as well but they get more then they bargained for with Jack Fontenot.

Disclaimer: Supernatural is not mine and never will be, thanks for reminding me.

* * *

The Winchesters spent five months recuperating from the accident. Five months after the six weeks Dean had to be kept in the hospital for. He was in the worst shape of all three men needing multiple surgeries just to get him stabilized, he was kept in a chemical induced coma after he woke to searing pain during his third week in the hospital. When they were sure he'd slept through the worst of it they bought him out if it. The doctors and nurses whispered the whole time about how unbelievable it was that he was even still alive, the accident had basically disemboweled him although they weren't sure how.

Talk like that did not comfort Sam or John as they waited, crazed with worry for Dean to wake up. John was in pretty bad shape himself with a broken collar bone, a punctured lung and a bullet wound in his leg. He glared at Sam when the doctors asked him how it got there, when he woke up four days into their stay.

"Hunting accident." He replied gruffly. Sam rolled his eyes at him in his corner of his dad and brother's shared recovery room. He wasn't going to have this argument with him again, especially not with Dean lying there half dead a few feet from them.

Sam was the least injured, broken arm, a concussion and a busted knee. He awoke two days before their dad and hadn't let him forget it for a second.

"Have a nice nap dad?" Sam asked innocently eating from his tray of hospital food.

"Shut the hell up Sam." John growled. Sam laughed into his coffee cup wondering if this was where all the toxic junk in those little red boxes went. It certainly tasted that way.

The nurses took pity on Sam. With a little help from his patented puppy dog look and the fact that he'd just been hit by a semi he was allowed to stay in the hospital room twenty fours seven even when he was well enough to be discharged. They set up a cot and he barely budged from his family's side for much longer than a bathroom break. Eventually the kindly nurses stopped bringing him food too, thinking it was unhealthy for him to spend all that time stuck in the hospital room. The irony was not lost on him. He now had to venture out into the cafeteria himself to get food or starve. He tried stealing his dad's food but got yelled at by the head nurse, while John watched laughing. Bastard ratted him out.

When Dean finally woke up the first words out of his mouth were "Where's my car?" Sam felt like laughing and crying at the same time. John never felt so relieved in his life.

"Bobby's got it, he's gonna try to fix it up. Saved us from having to answer some awkward questions about the trunk." John told his oldest son.

"Oh." Dean said groggily before falling back to sleep instantly. When he woke up next he demanded a catalogue of Sam and John's injuries and wanted to know everything that had been done for them.

"Mr. Whitehall, I promise that your father and your brother are fine what you need to worry about right now is you getting better." Doctor Markham tried to assure him with the utmost politeness after being drilled for answers for over an hour. Apparently the "Whitehall" family had excellent insurance. Fake but excellent. All the poor man came in for was a look in on his newly conscious patient, instead he got an agitated overprotective Dean Winchester making up for lost time.

"Thank You Doctor." Sam said intervening as Dean was about to reply. He escorted the nice man out of the room before the snark hit the fan.

"So dad what's next on the demon agenda?" Dean asked when the doc was out of earshot.

"Nothing until you get better." John said sternly. Dean looked like hell, pale and still a bit glassy eyed. All the question asking fun seemed to have taken a lot out of him.

"Come on dad I'm good to go." Dean whined, the effect somewhat blown because his head swayed while he said it like he was going to fall asleep again right then and there.

"Dean. No." John said shortly. He'd have no argument about this.

"I moved my pinky today, see." Dean said demonstrating the power of his pinky while his father watched amused.

"I can be lethal with this thing." Dean assured his dad seriously. John shook his head, Dean was goofy enough as it was, the pain meds were just making him worse.

"I'm sure you can, son," John said placating the drugged up man, "But lets spare the demon world the awesome power of your little finger until we're all better. Sammy's still limping anyway."

It was a cheap shot but he knew Dean wouldn't make a move until at least Sam was back to 100.

"Fine but only cause a Sammy." Dean said starting to sound groggy again. He'd only been awake for a few days but he still slept a lot.

"What's because of Sammy?" Sam picked that moment to come back into the room.

"We're not leaving this hospital until you're all better and I won't hear any bitching over it." Dean said as sternly as he could with an I.V., heart rate machines and a catheter.

"O-kay." Sam said frowning in his father's direction, having a feeling he had something to do with that statement.

"Listen to your brother Sam." John commanded biting back laughter. He forgot how funny his boys could be together. He'd forgotten a lot of things but he intended to relearn all those things now.

Sam was about to say something when Dean closed his eyes and starting snoring.

"Did he start in on daytime television while I was gone?" Sam asked his dad.

"No, just his pinky of doom." John said sitting back in his chair by Dean's bedside.

"What the hell?" Sam asked.

"I think the pain meds are making him a little…" John trailed not knowing the word for what his son was right now.

"Yeah wait till he sees that fabric softener bear again." Sam said smiling softly.

"His arch foe." He explained at the elder Winchester's look of confusion.

"When did he start a crusade against him?" John asked laughing, he wanted to know everything his sons had been up to while he was gone. He knew the facts of what they were doing, hunting, but he wanted to know the other stuff, the stories, jokes, all the stuff he didn't appreciate before getting rammed by an eighteen wheeler.

"When he was in the hospital for his heart." Sam explained wincing at the memory. It still stung to remember that he called their dad for help and he never came.

"Sam…" John started seeing the look in his son's eyes. It was hard to stay away when he got that phone call, too painful to speak of. But he assured himself the whole time that Dean would make it, that Sam would never let his brother die without a fight. And he was right, but it didn't stop the guilt of not being there and it didn't give him any explanation to give to his youngest when he looked at him with that question in his eyes.

"I can't imagine what you went through back then." John finally said lamely. He was a Winchester, they, as a rule, were no good with words and talking. Even Sammy was bad at it and he was always trying to practice on him and Dean. Bad genes.

"Dad I don't want to hear it. I don't want to argue about anything I just want…" Sam said softly looking down at the floor.

'See.' John thought to himself mentally proving Winchester genes theory.

"I understand." John said silently relieved not be having this conversation. The silence permeated the room.

"No bugs!" Dean suddenly cried out in his sleep twitching. John and Sam looked at each other and burst out laughing, the tension affectively broken.

"Did you speak to Missouri?" John asked Sam moments later.

"Yep, out in the hall. She said as soon as he can be moved to come on down to Kansas." Sam said. He was anxious to see her again, see if she could train him some, answer some more questions now than she could before.

"Good, good." John said absently nodding. He was already deep in thought over what they should do once the boys were healthy again.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Supernatural is not mine and never will be, thanks for reminding me.

AN: This chapter takes place a few months after the first. Think of the first chapter as more of a prologue to the story. Also this chapter is kind of Samcentric.

* * *

While the Winchester's rested and recuperated at Missouri Mosley's they searched. They looked for the demon's past trail, incidents that mirrored their own. They'd stumbled onto Max once maybe they could find more of its victims, people like Sam. Sam used his laptop to cross reference the phenomena that John had described to them with house fires that resulted in the death of at least one parent in the family.

"This is like looking for a demonic needle in a haystack." He said rubbing his forehead in frustration one day. His head was throbbing, the way it usually did after a vision except that he hadn't had any visions lately. Not since the accident.

"Take five Sammy. I can man the computer." Dean said sitting next to him at the kitchen table.

"You just don't want to do your chores." Sam accused him.

"Well why the hell do I have to do all the manual labor around here?" Dean asked shaking his head.

"Because, as long as I have to tell you not to cuss in my house your gonna do all the work." Missouri explained cuffing him upside the head.

"Ow. I just got out of the hospital woman." Dean said rubbing his head exaggeratedly.

"So you need to build up your strength by fixing that window in the den like I told you to this morning." Missouri said hands on her hips.

"I'll get to it." He said dismissively.

"Did I sound like I was asking?" She said narrowing her eyes at him.

"Why you always so hard on me?" Dean asked frowning.

"Cause you can take it." Missouri said smiling. She ruffled his hair on her way to the fridge.

"Sam needs a break so I can't fix the window right now." Dean said rolling his eyes at her back.

"Don't roll your eyes at me Dean Winchester. And your brother does need a break but your not getting out of fixing that window." Missouri shot back. She came back form the fridge with a glass of something greenish brown in a glass.

"Here Sam drink this I made it last night but it had to sit overnight." Missouri said putting the glass down in front of him.

"Um thanks, what is it?" Sam asked eyeing the glass suspiciously.

"A remedy for your headaches." She explained.

"Can't I just have an Advil?" Sam asked.

"Now Sammy respect your elders and drink the spook juice Missouri made ya." Dean said smiling his best shit eating smile. This wasn't the first of Missouri's remedy's any of them had been force fed. They universally tasted like shit.

"I heard that Dean Winchester." Missouri snapped suddenly grabbing a wooden spoon from the counter.

"Um I gotta go fix the window, bye." Dean said beating a hasty retreat before she could whack him with it. He'd take a poltergeist any day over the psychic and her damn spoon.

"Where's Dean going?" John asked coming in through the kitchen door.

"He's afraid of Missouri." Sam replied grinning.

"Sam stop talking and drink that up now." Missouri said brandishing her spoon at him. He held up his hands in mock surrender and reached for the glass. He took a tentative sniff and regretted it.

"What is that shit?" John asked grimacing on his son's behalf.

"A headache remedy." Sam answered using anything to keep from putting that glass to his lips.

"Drink it." Missouri commanded exiting the kitchen to get ready for an appointment coming in the next half hour.

"We out of Advil?" John asked eyeing the glass closely wondering if he should try shooting it with rock salt.

"Lets not and say I did." Sam said pushing the drink away from him across the table.

"Better not, she'll know." John warned pulling the laptop to rest in front of him. "Anything new?"

"I've been narrowing it down and I found a couple of promising leads." Sam said hopefully.

"But?" John asked sensing disappointment on the horizon.

"Its tough, I'm trying to find survivors of the fires that fit the bill but there are so many to look into" Sam said rubbing the bridge of his nose again.

"How many?" John asked dreading the answer. The thought of so many family's being destroyed by that thing chilled him to the core.

"Not too many, a couple dozen that fit some of the criteria even less that fit exactly. I don't think all of them or even most of them are even related to us." Sam said trying to sound optimistic.

"Drink that Sammy. You really do need to rest." John said sighing. It was still a bit awkward to him slipping into the role of concerned father over drill sergeant, but he was trying.

"Do I have to?" Sam whined putting in his "my puppy just got kicked" look.

"Wow I almost mistook you for a twenty two year old man for awhile there. My mistake apparently. Drink it." John said fixing him with a withering look.

Sam locked eyes with his dad defiantly and held on for a few long seconds before giving in and retrieving his glass.

"If I die from drinking this I'm gonna haunt you three." Sam promised before he held his nose and down the whole thing quickly in one foul gulp.

"Oh-oh God what the hell did she put in that?" Sam asked shrilly practically gagging.

"Sam you should see the look on your face son." John said barely restraining his laughter.

"Did he drink it?" Dean called from the other room.

"Fuck you." Sam yelled getting up and running to the sink, sucking water straight form the tap to rid his mouth of that taste.

"Sam I will wash your mouth out if you yell like that in my house again." Missouri promised aloud. Dean was laughing loudly at his brother from across the house.

"That's it I'm takin a break, I'll be upstairs of you need me." Sam said cracking his sore neck.

"Get some sleep Sam." John told him.

"Yes Sir." Sam said yawning as he walked out of the kitchen to the stair case.

"You okay Sam?" Dean asked when he passed then den where Dean was measuring the broken window pane.

"I'm fine just tired is all." Sam assured him. The things that happened to their family had served to make Dean more aware, more protective of them, especially his little brother.

"Still no dreams, huh?" Dean asked sympathetically.

"Nope. Calm before the storm I guess." Sam said shrugging. He walked up the stairs and shuffled to the guest bedroom he and Dean shared.

It didn't take long for them to make themselves at home in Missouri's. Their healing was slow going and painful but they made it through. Being back in Kansas and staying in one place for so long took a lot more getting used to for the two older men than for Sam. He was glad that they made the effort though.

Dad and Dean still looked sad and lost every time they passed their old house and sometimes Sam came down the stairs and saw John just staring out of a window, he wouldn't even hear him coming in, something unheard of with John Winchester. Then he would suddenly snap out of it and whirl on him sending him to ground, telling him that he needed to practice get back into shape. But Sam wasn't fooled by him trying to make it seem like a test. He saw him do it to Dean once but Dean had been able to dodge the attack like he expected it. Sam wondered if John had done that a lot while he was away at Stanford.

Everything fell into a routine of mundane everyday tasks and just trying to get better after the first couple of weeks. John got a job at a local garage far enough away that old acquaintances couldn't ask a lot of questions about what he'd been up to lately but close enough that he didn't have to be to far from his boys in case they needed him. Dean's car was returned from the dead nearly as good as new, although he still sometimes grumbled about it, and Sam started working with Missouri with his gifts. She didn't have the answers he was searching for but she taught him a few relaxation techniques to calm him and force fed him vile liquids to take away his pain.

Every time he slept he always expected to wake up gasping for air trying to shake off the nightmares that used to plague him but they didn't come. He should have been relieved but he wasn't, at least he knew what to expect from the nightmares, the pain, the images, the fear he felt in the people he dreamt of, but the waiting for the dreams was worse. Much worse, sometimes he stayed awake all night worrying about it. Dean was the only one he told about his dread. He thought Sam was blocking them out subconsciously, Sam said he was surprised Dean knew what subconsciously meant when Dean told him his theory.

Sam hit the twin sized bed hard and was asleep almost immediately. A deep darkness was all he saw as he closed his eyes, no terror waiting on the other side. It would not stay that way.

* * *

"Sam." A familiar but foreign voice whispered to him in his sleep. Sam strained to hear through the silence who or what was calling to him. He knew he was dreaming when he opened his eyes and was standing in the dark alone.

"Sam, please, Sam." Her voice took on a new clarity and he knew who it was.

He'd heard her say his name more times than he could count but never like this. It wasn't like when she was frustrated with him, like when he was late for their dates, or sad like when she got the call that her grandmother died. She didn't even sound accusing or confused like in the nightmares he had about the night she died. This was urgency and desperation in Jessica's voice. She needed him to hear her.

"Jess! Jess where are you? I c-I can't see!" He called spinning round and round searching for her in the dark. He was very aware this wasn't real but sometimes the dreams were the only glimpse of her he had anymore.

"Sam you have to.."

"Have to what? Jessica please." He called desperately pulling at his longish hair in frustration.

"Sam." And she was right in front of him. Dressed in that same white nightgown stepping out of the dark. She was an like angel haloed in golden hair and a sad expression on her beautiful face. He reached out to touch to see if she was real. As soon as he touched her cheek cold made him flinch and pull his hand back.

"Jessica I'm so sorry baby." Sam said feeling the tears welling up in his eyes.

"Its okay. Its not important now Sam." She said insistently. "You have to help her."

"Help? Help who?" Sam asked confused

"Her." She turned away from him and pointed.

Sam looked and saw nothing for a moment then as soon as he blinked he saw the girl. It was more the feeling than the actual sight of her that made him gasp and reach out to her to try to help. Huddled and naked on the ground with arms around her knees pushed up close to her body she barely moved. He could make out her light red hair obscuring her face that was pressed tight into her knees. There was a circle of light around her body and it was only then that he noticed the dark moved. Edged in and out around the girl, if it got to close the light would flared up and beat it back a few inches then a few centimeters, less and less every time. Pain and loneliness echoed all around them, suffocating in its depth, waiting for the light to drop its guard and devour the woman in front of him.

"She needs your help. She keeps the darkness at bay but she can't do it alone anymore. Not strong enough. Its closing in on her." Jess explained stepping closer to her.

"This is the world that she lives in." Jess said gesturing all around them.

"I-how? Where is she?" Sam frantically. His face wet with tears that wouldn't fall before. He couldn't bear it for much longer, this world of someone he didn't know.

"She'll come to you soon." Jessica assured him.

Without another word Jess disappeared leaving him alone with her.

"Jessica wait!" he yelled to nothingness. He saw the girl flinch when he yelled, like she was aware now of a presence besides her and the shadows.

He watched transfixed as she looked up slowly only her eyes visible to him in the semi-light. Deep brown eyes glanced warily up at him, they held so much emotion that he staggered at the sight.

"I want to help you." Sam said the only thing that come to mind not even sure if she understood him.She narrowed her eyes at him and he felt himself being pushed away by a warmth that was not entirely unpleasant.

"Can't help." A voice whispered around him.

"I can, please let me help you." Sam said softly fighting against whatever it was that was pushing him away. The warmth was also keeping back to the biting cold that had started creep up on him.

"You'll die. Go away." The voice said, she was still looking at him, he could feel her trying to will him away but also keeping her tormentors from grabbing at him while he stood in their domain.

"Please." Sam tried again.

"No!" She yelled using her mouth instead of her mind. The warmth turned into the searing burn of fire as he was forced away.

Sam jerked awake covered in sweat and shaking with the chills. The room had been lit by the afternoon sun drifting in from the windows when he fell asleep but was covered in shadows now. He panicked thinking he was still trapped there, that whatever it was in his dreams had taken him.

"Sam. Sammy you're alright man. Its okay." Dean was holding onto to him trying to calm him down as he thrashed and gasped for air.

"Dean I- Jessica- the girl with the shadows." Sam was spouting gibberish.

"Its okay man I know. But its over now it already happened." Dean said rocking his brother back and forth the way he did when they were kids.

"No, no it wasn't like that. I didn't dream of that night. Jessica came to me." Sam insisted pulling away from Dean to look him in the eyes. That was when Sam noticed Dean was dressed for bed and he looked rumpled and sleepy like he'd just woken up.

"How long did I sleep?" Sam asked looking out the window at the full moon now lighting the room like it knew it was needed as a makeshift nightlight.

"All day its four in the morning." Dean answered waving it off as unimportant. "What did Jessica say to you? Are you sure it was really her?"

"Yes I know it was her." Sam said more forcefully than he meant to.

"Its okay I believe you tiger." Dean said holding his hands up in surrender.

Sam told him with as much detail as he could remember the dream he'd had. The feeling of hopelessness that seemed fill him every time the darkness crept up on him, and how the girl protected him but pushed him away at the same time insisting he'd die if he tried to help her.

"Shit." Dean said running his hands through his hair. "I guess your visions are back then."

"Yeah be careful what you wish for." Sam said looking down at his hands.

"On the bright side it looks like we have a job." Dean said smiling lightly.

"How is that a bright side again?" Sam asked incredulous, only Dean could see a demon hunting gig as a silver lining.

"You have to really wanna see it Geek boy." Dean said smirking.

"Thanks Dean." Sam said after a moment of quiet.

"Yeah I know I rock." Dean said grinning and going back to his bed.

"You sure you'll be okay now?" Dean asked pausing before getting into bed.

"Yeah man I'll be okay." Sam said rubbing a hand over his face. Dean looked at him for a long moment unconvinced.

"I'm fine get some sleep." Sam insisted.

"Alright then." Dean took another worried look at him and got into bed.

"Night Sammy." Dean mumbled.

"Night Dean." Sam replied

AN2: Feedback welcome. Till next time


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: Supernatural is not mine and never will be, thanks for reminding me.**

**AN: The song Jack is singing to herself is "Laugh I Nearly Died" By The Rolling Stones in case anyone's curious.**

* * *

Jack woke to a bout of nausea and a killer headache, not one of her finer wake up calls. The a.c. in her crappy motel room must have gone out sometime during the night before, she thought, because she was covered in sweat. It was only when she saw the scorch marks on the bedside table and the ceiling that she realized what had happened.

"Nice job sparks now you gotta ditch out." She mumbled to herself pulling herself up out of bed. Her stomach lurched dangerously and she barely made it to the bathroom before the contents of her empty stomach made their grand appearance.

"Damnit all." She said flushing down the watery mess, it took all her energy to pull herself up to rinse her mouth with the questionable tap water. She looked at herself in the rusty mirror. Her skin was flushed bright red like she'd just run the marathon, her shoulder length red hair was in disarray with the blackened ends sticking to her sweaty neck, the pounding in her head hadn't ceased yet either. She hadn't had after effects like this since she was a kid just starting to understand and control her abilities. And she hadn't scorched a hotel room in over a month. Now she had and couldn't think of why.

She felt like there was something she should be remembering, something she'd dreamt but it hurt her head to much when she tried. She shrugged and stopped trying, she had more important things to worry about then a few black marks on the walls of a truck stop motel anyway. Like food. Her stomach grumbled on cue and she smiled and patted her tummy. One of the few constants in her life, even after feeling like a truck rolled over her stomach she was still famished whenever she used her power.

"I've been travelin but I don't know where, I've been missin you but you just don't care…." She started singing to herself as she turned on the shower, retrieving her tooth brush and shampoo while she waited for the water to struggle towards luke warm. Glancing at the wall clock Jack was glad to see it was four in the a.m.. The sun wasn't even up yet no one would see her leave.

Jack bathed as quickly as she could, never liking to take to long to leave a place. She wanted to be on the open road ASAP. After her hasty shower and brushing her teeth twice to rid herself of the taste Jack picked up the few belongings she hadn't kept packed up. She never fully unpacked, getting together the charms and cleaning up the salt lining the doorway already took up precious time. She dressed in a pair of jeans a tank top and an oversized black sweater that belonged to her uncle when he was still alive. It barely smelled like Chris anymore and the thought made her sad but she pushed the thought aside and shoved her feet into the new boots she treated herself to after a good pull from a college kid a few cities back. Why did a nineteen year old kid need a wallet full of twenties anyway. It would build character, getting his pocket picked.

She grinned widely at the thought and took out her trusty road map of the USA. She found the road she needed fast, she was trained to find her way easily, humming while she was folding the map up and putting it back in her backpack. She grabbed up her big duffel bag and swinging it over her shoulder and out the door with only a passing glance to make sure she didn't forget anything.

Jack's motorcycle was parked twenty feet from her ground floor room, gleaming in the moonlight. It was her pride and joy one of the few things she'd bought honestly, with the money her uncle left her for when…. It was better not to think about that. Four grand and a helluva lot of repairs later she had a way to get around without hitching or riding the greyhound. She took precautions inlaying protection spells and charms into the paintjob. The "SpookCycle" her buddy Billy called it. The plates said Louisiana, though she hadn't lived there in years, just a little tribute to where she was born. The open road was the only home Jack knew, even before she was alone she and Chris lived like nomads.

"Kansas here I come." Jack said to the night as covered her head in her helmet and started her bike. Grabbing food on the road later was all she could hope for at this hour. She hoped to be across the state line in a few hours, if she didn't make to many stops along the way. Speeding didn't matter, she was sure none of the names on her fake I.D's had traffic records.

There was no way the owners didn't hear her peel out of the parking lot. She did it on purpose. They were not gonna be happy with that room but with the condition it was in when she checked in four days ago they couldn't really complain to much.

'Now all I have to do is get to Lawrence in one piece.' She thought to herself as she sped onto the empty highway.

**AN2: This chapter is short because I just wanted to start giving a feel for Jack and a little about the way she lives.**


	4. Chapter 4

"And you didn't get a name?" John asked for the tenth time. As if he could suddenly pull a name out of thin air if he asked it again and again, Sam thought mentally rolling his eyes. 

"No sir." He answered through gritted teeth. At lunch the next day Dean told Missouri and John about Sam's vision. Now they were gathered around the kitchen table with John pacing back and forth firing off questions and it was after six in the afternoon. It was obvious no work was getting done that day.

"Whoever she is she must be in a lot of trouble to have your girlfriend come to you like that to tell you to help." Missouri said looking worried.

"Or maybe she's connected to the Deva demon." John suggested more to himself then anyone else.

"A victim." Dean suggested.

"Or someone who's possessed like Meg." John answered.

"No." Sam said shaking his head. John stopped pacing and looked at him, the others turned to him expectantly. He'd only been answering questions till then, as shortly as possible because he was still suffering the after effects of his nightmare.

"She wasn't possessed." Sam told them simply.

"How do you know honey?" Missouri asked gently putting her hand over his.

"I don't know I could feel it. And…" Sam trailed off looking away. He'd only told Dean about her seeming to protect him from the dark, it was something he wasn't to keen to admit to his father, who might take it as a sign of weakness in his youngest son. Plus he and Dean were closer than before the crash, he felt like he could confide in him that he was afraid of the place the woman was in mentally.

"And what Sam?" John asked frowning.

"This could be important Sam." Dean told him squeezing his shoulder to encourage him.

"She protected me." Sam said after a long pause.

"How?" Missouri asked.

"I'm not sure, it was like the dark was alive and trying to swallow me up," Sam tried to explain what he'd been feeling. "When she was trying to push me away I felt like she was keeping it at bay, giving some of her light to keep it from taking me."

"Hmph. Well that's…new." John said crossing his arms over his chest.

"And you say she told you if you helped her you'd die?" He asked, again.

"Yup." Sam said nodding along.

"What exactly did she look like?" Dean asked one of the few things Sam might be able to answer.

"Red hair, brown eyes, young, like she might be around 19 or 20." Sam said sitting up a little straighter.

"So all we have to do is ask every red head with brown eyes if they noticed a moving cloud of dark following them around. Great." Dean sighed.

"Do you have any idea how many women you just described?" John asked throwing his hands up in the air. True when he wished to start hunting again soon, he hadn't meant babysitting a damsel in distress but this could be something important.

"Actually only about 1 of the population has red hair and that's both men and women so if we narrowed it down even more…" Sam trailed off seeing the looks the other three were giving him.

"What? I looked it up before breakfast." Sam said a little defensively.

"Okay Geek boy but before you go knocking on the door of every redhead in Kansas lets try something a little less technological and a little more Psychic Friends Network." Dean said smirking. Only Sam would go on the web and to try and find girl in trouble. Somehow he didn't think there was a MySpace page on demonic stalkers though.

"Shut up." Sam said embarrassed. He punched Deans shoulder and ended with a dishrag from the sink behind Dean, in his face.

"Are you any good at drawing Sam?" Missouri asked rolling her eyes at them. She snatched the rag away from Sam before he could send it flying at his brother.

"I'm okay, why? You want me to draw what I saw?" Sam asked.

"I'd like you to try." She answered shooting a warning look at Dean, who was reaching for another weapon.

"Alright but I didn't get much else." Sam said in resignation.

John was right there with a pen and a clean sheet of paper in under two minutes. He looked antsy, itchy for something to fight and kill or protect.

"You look like kid with ADD on a sugar high dad." Dean said laughing at their father.

"Respect your elders." He retorted gruffly but his eyes wee shining when he said it. Missouri was watching him in amusement, John Winchester of the iron control was excited at the prospect of a job and he was doing a piss poor job of hiding it.

"Do you have a pencil? In case I make any mistakes." Sam asked concentrating on the blank paper in front of him. He was already losing the image of the girl, he didn't want it to fade without getting something down. Something accurate.

"Hold on." Dean said shuffling through one of the kitchen drawers searching.

"Aha! There you are." He said in triumph holding up a gnawed on pencil with hardly any eraser.

"That's it?" Sam asked.

"Beggars can't be choosers Sam, besides its not like its got my slobber all over it." Dean said tossing him the pencil.

"But it did once." Sam accused picking up the pencil gingerly.

"Just draw your dream girl and quit bitching." Dean said pursing his lips in frustration. They really should have requested the stick be removed from Sam's ass before leaving the hospital, he thought.

"Language." Missouri scolded Dean in disapproval.

"Sorry." Dean s aid rolling his eyes.

"No your not." She accused feeling a twitch in her lip. She liked the boy but sometimes she wanted to whack him upside the head with something, which she usually ended up doing anyway. He reminded her of a puppy that needed to be watched so he'd stay out of trouble.

"Shhh." Sam told them trying to sketch out the girl in his dream, their bickering wasn't helping his concentration.

"Yeah shut up." John told them walking to stand over Sam's shoulder to watch the picture form on the page.

It took half an hour and three pieces of paper to get it as close to his dream as Sam could get. He paused to look over his work, her eyes looked up at him from the paper, looking through him wondering why he was in her world, challenging him silently, but not with hostility. A strand of hair, the brown of the pencil instead of the flame color it really was, fell over her shoulder. She was sitting with her arms tightly around her knees, the rest of her beautiful face, he didn't know how he knew she was beautiful he just did, was obscured from him and it frustrated him.

"Dude why's she naked?" Dean asked coming to look over his shoulder when he noticed the sound of pencil on paper, not to mention the frustrated swearing coming from Sam every time he made a mistake("How come he didn't get yelled at?" "Cause he has an excuse Dean."), had ceased.

"That's how she was in the dream." Sam explained blushing at the insinuation in his brother's voice.

"Hmm, maybe your subconscious is telling you that you need to get laid." Dean said grinning. John cuffed him casually in the back of his head. Hunting and women, Dean's two life pursuits.

"No it's a sign of her desperation." Missouri said sounding sure as she took the picture from Sam to study it.

"She's kinda hot." Dean said taking the picture from her. She snatched it back and glared at him.

"This isn't about that Dean. For all we know she'd just a kid, scared and alone." Sam exclaimed.

"That means you keep your lecherous hands to yourself boy." Missouri told him firmly pointing her finger at him. She grabbed the drawing from his hands.

"Your pre-scolding me!" Dean said eyes wide in disbelief. He took the picture back possessively. "I didn't even do anything."

"And you won't." She told him once again claiming the portrait.

"Can we get back to business?" John asked snatching the picture from them both before they tore the only clue to Sam's nightmare visitor.

"I don't recognize her at all, I don't think we're supposed to look for her ourselves. Jess said she'd come to me.

"Who knows how long that could take." John said not encouragingly.

"Well what do you think we should do dad? I forgot that you have all the answers." Sam snapped his temper flaring.

"Don't you take that-"

"Shut up both of you." Missouri said suddenly. They looked at her in surprise but she wasn't looking at them. Her sight seemed to have turned inward.

"What is it?" Dean asked tensing preparing for the worst.

"I don't know exactly." Missouri said squinting at nothing that could be seen with the human eye. "But I sense something happening at your old house."

"Shit." Dean swore, pulling back from the psychic.

"Boys get you things we're going to the house." John barked standing up from the table.

"But-"

"No buts Sam. Now."

"Yes sir."

Five minutes later they had a their weapons discreetly hidden beneath their clothes and some sacred items just in case. They didn't have to worry about scaring the family, they'd remember the Winchester boys, it would be hard to forget the people that saved your family's life.

"What are you doing?" Dean asked Missouri, who'd into their dad's truck.

"She's coming with." John explained starting his truck. His tone left no room for argument or questioning of any kind.

"Yes sir." Dean nodded dutifully. He walked around to his car and started it, following close behind their father.

"You okay Sammy?" Dean asked Sam, who stared out the window as they drove quickly but still within the speed limit to where they lived once.

"I'm fine." Sam gave him the old standby answer that really meant "what do you think, dead people are talking to me and I see the fucking future. Of course I'm not okay." He stared intently at the setting sun.

Whatever they were expecting to be met with at the old Winchester house they were sorely disappointed. Nothing was there and after questioning the family they came to the conclusion nothing odd had happened since they drove the spirits out a year ago. Missouri looked frustrated and disappointed.

"I felt something I know I did, a strong something too." She said as they walked dejectedly back into her house.

No one spoke, they were all wrapped up in their own thoughts. John went about cleaning and re-cleaning his weapons, Missouri went to read her cards and see if she could get a read on whatever she thought she felt earlier. Dean followed Sam into the kitchen, he was worried about how quiet he was being, he hadn't been fazed by the incident with Missouri and now he just sat staring at the picture he'd drawn.

"She's in pain, but she won't show it. Won't even ask for help." He said quietly furrowing his brow.

"How do you know?" Dean asked sitting in the chair next to him.

"Because I can just feel it." Sam shrugged, he didn't have to say more Dean knew Sam well enough to trust what he felt.

"Reminds me of you a bit." Sam said smiling softly surprising his brother.

"Hmph. I don't know how I feel about that." Dean answered after a beat.

"About someone reminding me of you?" Sam asked quizzically.

"Yeah and here I thought I was one of kind. No room for two of this much sexiness in the world." Dean starting serious then smiling to light up the room.

"Not for two your ego anyway." Sam laughed throwing a crumpled bit of paper at him, it bounced off his head.

"Hey watch the hair." Dean said smoothing down his undisturbed hair. Sam could swear he just wanted an excuse to touch his own hair.

**AN: The Winchesters and Co meet Jack in the next chapter. Hopefully I'll be able to post again soon.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: Not mine, never will be.**

Jack made the trip in less time then she'd anticipated, she was in Lawrence by nightfall and she'd only had to sacrifice all the feeling in her ass to do it. That and she hadn't stopped for much more than quick snacks at gas stations when she had to fill up her bike. She was exhausted, irritable and was going to hurt anything that stood between her and a bed. She flew through a residential area, gliding past the pretty little houses filled with normal people and their families without so much as a passing glance.

Normal was a vague and foreign concept to her. Not one she felt she would embrace wholly even if her life hadn't taken the turns they had. She glanced at one particular house out of instinct. This house was the reason she'd taken the longer route to finding a motel to crash. As soon as she caught some sleep and got some food in her belly she'd be back to look it over more thoroughly, for now she satisfied her curiosity with a passing glance.

'Pretty.' She thought slowing to a brief stop on the other side of the street to take a look. It was pretty and big. It looked like the kind of place you raised 2.5 kids and had a dog door in the back. Not where demon fires ripped apart lives. She closed her eyes and concentrated for a moment, letting her mind expand to that secret part of herself she still didn't fully comprehend. She tried to feel for it, for the fire. She could feel that in places, feel where flames had touched the lives of people who should never experience that.

She barely felt anything, a fire yes but not the pulse she'd been expecting. Jack opened her eyes annoyed. This was supposed to help her get some answers, she'd ridden her ass for them, not for a brief flicker that let her know something had happened here but gave her nothing to go on as to what. If she didn't know any better she would just chalk the feeling up to a stove being left on inside, that's how faint it was.

The front door opened just then and a pretty blonde woman backed out with a toddler strapped into a carriage and a little girl waiting patiently for her turn to come outside. That was Jack's cue to leave, no use spooking the natives with her presence. She revved her engine and was gone before the woman could even note anything out of the ordinary. Jack shrugged off the passing feeling of someone watching her. She was used to that. All sorts of boogey men had an interest in little Jack Sparks as Chris used to refer to her. And not remembering the nightmare from the night before was driving her crazy, it felt important that she remember it. No method for remembering worked so far.

'Maybe I'm becoming a precog.' Jack mused going at a slow and steadier pace. No reason to rush anymore, she was in Kansas and getting stopped by the police was not how Jack wanted welcome herself into the neighborhood.

'A forgetful precog.' She finished her thought, smiling tiredly to herself. It would be cool to have that ability, she thought, like a little piece of Chris left over. But she knew better, these were the ramblings of an overtired mind. When she left Kansas maybe she could swing by Billy in Alabama to rest for a bit. She missed him and his little brother, though she wouldn't be caught dead voicing the sentiment.

When Jack made it to a small motel walking distance from the suburbs she nearly collapsed onto the bed after checking in. It took all her energy to lay the salt at the door and another circle of it around her bed. Next came drawing the protective charms around the windows in erasable marker fir easy cleanup on checkout. She hung a bag of herds she'd picked up four years ago in Baton Rouge on a short trip to New Orleans to pay her respects on the anniversary of her parents' death. Her and Chris used to go down every year. Her enemies were smart though, she tried a year after Chris died to make it to the family plot and ended up in the hospital three days for a cracked skull and a fake name, it should have been for longer but a sixteen year old girl in the hospital with no papers sounded the Social Services alarm and she had to beat a retreat out of the there before that could happen.

Jack ignored the gnawing hunger in her stomach and force herself to sleep, silently praying for a dreamless sleep.

'Food.' Was the first thought that popped into Jack's head when she woke up the following morning. Rolling out of bed without any nausea or pounding headaches, she decided, was definitely a good sign.

"No burns today either." She congratulated herself aloud. Jack smiled wide and yawned scratching her knotted up hair like a cat stretching after a nap.

Jack rushed through her shower and pulled on a fresh pair of jeans and a light blue v-neck sweater. In these clothes she looked like any other teenage girl on a day off from school. She added a ponytail for the effect and a little light makeup. She judged, or rather her growling stomach judged her appearance fit for scaring up breakfast. Luckily she didn't have far to go to hit a diner.

"What'll it be honey?" A waitress with a quaint southern accent approached her seconds after sitting down in a booth.

"You still serving breakfast?" Jack asked, the prospect of food made her forget to check the time before leaving. She felt her mood lightening up even more at the thought of eating.

"No its lunch time honey." The waitress, 'Alice' her name tag read, said smiling in gentle rebuke to the younger girl. She handed Jack a laminated lunch menu and waited.

"Oh then, uh," Jack picked up the menu Alice placed in front of her.

"A double bacon cheeseburger with extra fries, a Coke and a bowl of chicken soup." Jack answered licking her lips.

"Are you gonna eat all that honey?" Alice asked raising her eyebrow at Jack's lean form.

"Yup." Jack answered brightly biting back an obligatory sarcastic comment about having an imaginary friend with a hell of an appetite. This woman didn't know that this was just to start.

"Alright." Alice said writing it down in her pad looking skeptical. Jack kept smiling, a plan for the afternoon forming in her head.

True, it only consisted of eating and walking back to the house for a better look around. But it was a plan.

**AN: Okay I know I promised the fateful meeting in this chapter, but I had to make this one short for now. I promise the next chapter puts my girl face to face with the Winchesters and Missouri and then the interesting stuff is gonna start happening. Bear with me.**

**AN2: In case it wasn't clear what Missouri felt in chapter 4 was Jack trying to feel the house's history with her mind, but of course she felt nothing because of what happened in 'Home'. But she doesn't know that, does she?**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I wouldn't be broke if I owned Supernatural. And I'd make the Winchester men give each other a group hug already.**

"What are we looking for again?" Dean asked Sam as they drive to meet Missouri and their father at the old house.

"Nothing yet but Missouri wants me to try and feel something out." Sam explained looking at the sketch in his hands.

"Sure you don't just need to get laid?" Dean asked snatching dream girl's picture from Sam's hands.

"Unlike you I occasionally think with my upstairs brain." Sam said reaching for the picture.

"Stop it you'll make me crash, then I'll have to kill you." Dean said holding the paper just out of Sam's reach.

"Your car has survived worse." Sam growled practically climbing over Dean to get his picture back. They swerved dangerously as his oversized elbow smacked the wheel on accident.

"Fine bitch, take your damn picture just get off me." Dean said shoving the picture at his brother and righting the car before they really did crash.

"Jerk." Sam said smoothing out the paper before folding it and putting it safely in his jacket pocket.

"So Sammy?" Dean said after a few seconds of silence.

"What?" Sam asked, irritated enough without any extra help from his older sibling.

"Occasionally means you actually do think with 'little Sammy' sometimes right?" Dean asked smirking.

"You're an ass!" Sam said turning five shades of red. He looked out the window and tried to ignore his brother laughing at him.

* * *

"Where are those boys?" Missouri asked frustrated. They were standing outside the house waiting for them. Jenny had taken the kids for a nice long walk while they looked around the place. She didn't need much convincing to leave them alone in her house for awhile.

"Their probably arguing about something." John said dismissively. He was on edge. Being at the house wasn't sitting well with John. He was two minutes away from bolting, thinking up any excuse to leave. It was easier the day before when he thought he had to kill something there.

"John stop it, your giving me a headache. Just go inside and wait for the boys." Missouri scolded rubbing her temples. His inner grumblings could wake the dead, the telepathic dead anyway.

"You want me to go in there?" He asked incredulous. The alone part was left out but she heard it loud and clear in her head.

"John," She said gently laying a soft hand on his arm. He stiffened for a moment before relaxing. Being comforted was not one of his strong points.

"You can't avoid this place forever."

"Sure I can, that's why I sold it after it was rebuilt." John said lightly looking straight ahead. He bit the inside of his mouth to distract himself from where he was.

"What did spend the money on?" Missouri asked raising an eyebrow he couldn't see.

"Ammo." He grinned at her showing where Dean got some of his old charm from.

"Go inside, it'll be good for you." Missouri said a bit more forcefully. She'd been trying to get her old friend to go into the house for years after Mary died. To get a little bit of closure.

"I don't want closure." John said gritting his teeth.

"Are you the mind reader here or am I?" She demanded irritably, running his arm to take the sting off her words.

"Do it before your children get here." She told him leaving no room for arguments from him. He locked eyes with her trying to stare her down but she just looked calmly back. John Winchester was a stubborn bastard but he had nothing on Missouri Mosely.

"Your a real pain in the ass, you know that?" John asked rubbing his beard in something attune to resignation.

"Uhhuh." Missouri replied gesturing for him to get inside already.

John turned towards the opened front door. Three steps and he'd be In There. He gave her a warning look that said if she ever implied to anyone that he was afraid to go in there he'd come after he with a shotgun full of rock salt.

"I'd feel you coming John." She called to him as he disappeared through the front door.

She sighed to herself and shook her head, these Winchester's took so much looking after.

It wasn't until she heard the motor that she looked up to see a motorcycle slowing to a stop across the street from where the house stood. Missouri stood a little straighter as the rider stepped off the bike and took off the helmet, revealing a head of red hair. She shook out her ponytail and turned to face Missouri for the first time. Her breath caught momentarily when she recognized the young woman from Sam's nightmare.

"Damn." Missouri swore falling back into the porch swing, with just enough presence of mind to be glad Dean wasn't present to point out her slip. She'd never be able to live with the boy after that.

* * *

John walked slowly through the doorway bracing himself for the onslaught of sense memories. He ran a hand along the far wall of the living room. It was one of the few parts of the house that hadn't been burnt to crisp that night, so he could pretend for a second that it was the same as it was twenty-three years ago, when he had to repaint it after Dean got marker and showed off his knowledge of shapes on the wall. Dean also drew a kitty cat on his father's face while he napped on the couch. He could hear Mary laughing at his dismay and telling him it was his fault for falling asleep while he was watching the four year old.

John closed his eyes trying to lose himself in that phantom sound, till he heard voices outside.

* * *

Jack had been fully planning on walking to the house that afternoon. More stealthy, less gas money and she hadn't just finished eating the left half of a diner's lunch menu when she came up with her grand plan. After paying the bill she left a sizeable tip if only because of how impressed she was by how big the waitress's eyes widened when Jack started to chow down. That and the never ending Coke glass made her worthy in Jack's eyes.

After the short walk to her motel convinced her that the least strenuous mode of transportation was best, Jack grabbed her helmet(safety first when your on the run from the boogeyman, she thought) and prepared to ride over to the Winchester house. A cautious nature made her slip a butterfly knife into her boot, paranoia made her put loaded .38 in back of her jeans under her sweater, she threw on jacket over that. She picked up her small, worn backpack and unzipped the front pouch. Inside were two white envelopes and her fake i.d.'s. She ran a finger along the top envelope, the paper was soft from being handled often, the letter inside read and reread. She zipped the bag back up and tossed it on the bed. It was time for her to go.

Jack came to a stop across the street from the house parking there. She felt a pair of eyes watching her as she removed her helmet and shook out her ponytail. She made sure to show no outward sign she knew she was being watched and turned slowly, casually to meet the eyes of her watcher. A woman was standing on the long front porch of the house, sitting a bit hastily after looking at Jack's face and damnit if Jack couldn't feel the power in those eyes.

The energy felt like the one from the day before, something subtle but strong trying to feel her out. Jack smirked and put her helmet on the seat of her bike and crossed the street. She wanted to know about this house and no psychic was going keep her from it.

But a black '67 Chevy nearly did. The driver was speeding a little and apparently arguing with the passenger about something when he came to an abrupt stop a few inches ahead of her in front of the house. Jack froze momentarily, thinking how ironic it would be to die by getting run over after everything else she'd survived. She looked into the passenger side window of the car as she continued toward the house, somewhat faster now, wanting to get out of the way of any other oncoming classics with bickering drivers.

The dark haired man locked eyes with her and froze, completely ignoring whatever it was the blonde sitting next to him was saying. His green eyes widened a fraction and she forced herself to look away. Any other day she'd have taken the time to ogle and flirt with the two handsome men, one of whom was staring straight at her, but she had something important to do.

"Hey hold on a second." She heard him call after her as she walked swiftly to the front steps of the house. The car door opened and closed with a loud slam and she felt rather than heard his hasty footsteps as he caught up to her.

"Sam what's wrong?" The driver called after his friend.

"Wait a second." Sam repeated sounding frustrated planting himself firmly between Jack and the house. He was so tall she had to crane her neck to look into his eyes and underneath the baggy sweatshirt and jeans she could make out a lean build.

"Excuse me, I'd like to go inside my house please." Jack said calmly grasping at the first lie that came to mind.

"I guess its to bad you don't live here then." A male voice behind her said nonchalantly. She could swear she heard the man smirk.

"And you know this because?" Jack raised an eyebrow at the one in front of her.

"A woman named Jenny and her two kids do." The woman piped up from the porch. She stood now and walked down the steps. Jack followed her every movement with her eyes.

"Who are you?" Jack asked starting to get annoyed. She'd wanted to check the place out by herself and feel its history. See if it felt the same as her family's old home.

"We could ask you the same thing." Said the blonde. Jack half turned and gave him a slow once over. Dark blonde hair, tall but not as tall as the brunette with the same green eyes. He had his arms crossed over his chest and smirked at her, his eyes shining with amusement at her obvious leering. She smirked right back. He had lips to die for.

"She's-" The brunette started.

"Not blind dude." Golden boy stated rolling his eyes at Sam.

"Why are you here?" The woman asked her, looking deep in her eyes. Whatever she was looking for she didn't see it because she gave up after a moment, looking frustrated and confused.

"Who's out there?" A fourth voice cane from inside the house.

'Wonderful.' Jack thought biting her lip in annoyance.

"Madeleine Keith." Jack called out the fake name as an answer to both his and the blonde's question.

"Who?" The man who appeared in the doorway had Sam's looks about him. All dark and broody, with a slight beard that was more stubble than anything else.

"Things seem to be getting a little crowded around here so if you'll excuse me." Jack said coolly trying to go around Golden boy to retreat. She'd wait and go around the block to find a back door into the house.

"You didn't answer Missouri's question." He said stepping in front of Jack quickly and quietly. The motion made caution alarms go off in her head. He moved the way she did. When she thought about it now the guy he called Sam did too.

"Why am I here?" She asked faking confusion.

"Yes."

"Well that's the great philosophical question isn't it? Higher power, evolution or maybe I just like the food." She answered sarcastically trying to step around him and getting blocked again.

"Dean." Sam said with a warning tone in his voice.

"What are you doing at this house?" Dean clarified, his lips twitching upward at her answer.

"You caught me," She held up her hands in mock surrender. "I'm a fire groupie and I heard this place burned down a few years back. Thought I'd check it out." Her voice was thick with sarcasm.

Dean's eyes narrowed dangerously and he stepped away from her. The silence roared in her ears, she had a feeling she'd just said something very wrong. The brief flash of pain in the man's eyes confirmed it but she bit back any guilt she may have felt.

"Madeleine." Sam came around to look her in the face. He looked so concerned, so worried and she realized it wasn't directed at his friend, it was all for her.

'What the hell?' She thought. Her day had started out so well.

Sam watched Dean freeze and pull away from her as if she'd just slapped him across the face. With those words she might as well have. He touched the pocket that held the sketch of her from his dream.

It was close, really close, the picture he'd rendered from memory. She was younger up close and prettier. Her shoulder length hair was a rich shade of red with the bottom inch dyed black like it was singed, pulled back barely brushing the collar of her black jacket. She was about 5'8" with a somewhat lean frame, clothed in jeans and a low cut blue sweater that brought out her dark brown eyes against the backdrop of creamy white skin. She had delicate high cheekbones that still held some of that youthful softness that made her look all the more fragile. Full lips with an upward tilt to them finished out the face that was contorted in sorrow not two nights before.

Jess said she would come to him and need their help. But now what was he supposed to do? Ask her if she was feeling okay? Tell her about them? He had no clue.

"Madeleine." He started softly using the name she'd given them moments before. He stepped between her and Dean watching her eye him subtly, sizing him up in a way where he barely noticed it.

"What are you guys doing here, while we're playing twenty questions." She drawled like it was only mild interest and not a human barrier that kept her from leaving.

"We used to live here, till it burned down." Sam said simply. She flinched and he thought he saw some flash of emotion in her eyes but it was gone to fast.

"Sorry." She said looking away briefly before meeting his eyes. She had penetrating eyes, eyes that saw too much, they reminded him Missouri or Max or what he saw in the mirror after a vision tore through him in his sleep.

"You're just a kid." It slipped out before he could stop himself. Her eyes hardened and she crossed her arms over her chest.

"No I'm not." She said narrowing her eyes in a way that was very familiar to him.

"I just want to be on my way." She said in a low voice tensing, ready to run at the first opening she got, or fight at the first sign of trouble.

"Why'd you come to this house?" he asked her slowly, keeping his hands from his pockets to show her he meant no harm.

"She wanted to feel it." Missouri answered for her.

"What?" Sam asked, looking past the girl to Missouri. His father was watching the girl like hawk. And Dean was glowering, still smarting from the flippant way she spoke of their tragedy. Sam had a feeling that was more defense mechanism than anything else though.

"Your a psychic?" Sam asked feeling relieved, maybe this wouldn't be as hard as he thought. He felt like kicking himself for not remembering that feeling of power from his dreams, but try as he might he couldn't get that feeling now standing in front of her.

"I have the oddest impulse to say I'm rubber and your glue. But how 'bout we stick to the pots calling the kettle psychic." She said smoothly.

"We can try that." Sam said smiling.

"I'm not gonna get to leave here anytime soon am I?" She asked pursing her lips together.

"Nope." Sam replied shaking his head.

"Shall we go inside and talk then?" She asked raising an eyebrow at him. "Or would you rather have this conversation outside where neighbors and the occasional passing squirrel can here us?"

"Lets go inside." He said giving the universal gesture for Ladies First. She smirked and turned to walk past Missouri up the steps. She paused in front of John and met his eyes unflinchingly. That in itself was a feat, Sam thought. And he had a feeling the day was about to get a lot more interesting.

**TBC………**


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I only own Jack and she's enough of a handful. Eats me out of house and home that one does.

Jack marked all the exits she could see in the comfortable, cluttered den they walked into. Toys were littered across the floor, which she sidestepped to get to an overstuffed armchair close to the windows that looked out over the front yard. She silently smirked when she saw that someone had left the one to the far left open to take advantage of the nice, warm day. Ideal for a quick escape if she found she needed one. She usually did.

Sam took the seat next to her, turning it to face her. Missouri sat on the couch across the room putting a coffee table and the irate man sitting on it between her and Jack. Dean was staring at her with cold eyes. John was standing in the doorway, arms crossed waiting for the fun to start. She was surrounded.

"I'm Sam, by the way and that's my brother Dean, our dad and Missouri Mosely." Sam started them off leaning forward elbows on his knees.

Jack nodded along fighting the urge to expand her extra sense, irritated she wasn't feeling anything from this house.

"Does the family that lives here know you entertain guests in their living room?" Jack asked.

"She's pretty understanding about this sort of thing." Sam explained without explaining.

"She knows then?" Jack asked frowning. She eyed the toys the covered most of the free space in the room. A little nagging voice in her head was reminding her that she was breaking one of her cardinal rules just by coming here. The number one rule being: No kids involved ever, not even by association. But she stopped listening to that voice when she crossed the state line from Oklahoma to Kansas.

"We helped with some trouble with the house awhile back." Dean answered watching her carefully.

"Stop looking like I put your puppy in a blender." Jack snapped pulling on the ends of her ponytail. Then she absorbed his words.

"You cleansed the house!" She demanded.

"Had to." He said, furrowing his forehead in confusion or irritation she couldn't be sure.

"You bluffed me." She accused the woman sitting smiling slightly on the couch. Jack had a moment to notch up her respect for the lady.

"I guessed it was you I felt yesterday when you pulled up on that death trap of yours." Missouri said unrepentant.

"That's why I couldn't get anything from this place. Its completely cold." Jack mumbled bitterly, toying with the bracelet around her wrist.

"Why did you want to know about this place?" Dean demanded.

"Shared history." Jack answered vaguely. This was not how she'd planned her day going.

Four pairs of eyes bored into her. She crossed her left leg over her right for easier access to the knife hidden there and adjusted slightly so her gun was grinding into her back so much.

"What do you do?" Sam asked changing the subject. Part of him wanted to know what she meant by that but a bigger part remembered the cold and pain surrounding her.

"Denny's waitress." She answered not missing a beat. Sam saw Dean's lip twitch.

"No, as a psychic." Sam said softly. She was fidgeting a little like a caged animal and he didn't want to scare the girl away. She tugged at the black ends of her hair again, a nervous habit, he thought.

"You don't want to know." She answered looking each curious person in the eye, assessing them in some way.

"Yes we do." Missouri said standing up and walking over to where she sat. She stood in front of her and Jack felt a small flare of power. She smiled knowing the woman wouldn't get anything, sure enough Missouri opened her eyes and looked down at her confused.

"I feel something but its muddled. Like the signals being intercepted." She said more to herself than anyone else.

"I'm a magic eight ball you gotta shake me to get the answers out." Jack couldn't help joking.

"I had a dream about you." Sam blurted out getting impatient. Jack looked up at him frowning a little then smiled.

"What was I wearing?" She asked suggestively. She nearly laughed when Sam blushed a little. Dean did laugh.

He reached forward faster than her eyes could track and pulled out a piece of paper from his brother's pocket.

"Give it Dean!" Sam said lunging for his brother. He was too fast and threw it to Jack with a cocky grin she couldn't help returning.

Jack unfolded the paper and barely caught the audible hiss as she was flooded with memories. It came back to her so fast she was sure she would've fallen if she wasn't already sitting down. The beautiful blonde girl that she mistook for the mother she never knew at first, the man watching her reaching out to help her. And the dark, oh God, the dark, everywhere, cold and hopeless reminding her of everything she had gotten so good at blocking out in the harsh light of day. There she was in the picture, shaking, desperate and alone for all the world to see.

"Are you alright?" Missouri's voice pushed its way through the feelings that invaded Jack.

"You forgot the freckle on my shoulder." Jack said composing herself fast. She smirked and pointed to her left shoulder.

"I want to help." Sam said taking the picture as she handed it to him. He looked so damn sincere she had a moment of doubt, a moment where she longed to ask.

'Ask what?' She asked herself viscously. 'Ask for them to save you? Look what happened last time someone tried to save you. Look at what happens when you need someone more than they need you.'

Her own mental voice was more cruel than any demon or monster, spouting truths the rest of her didn't want to hear.

Dean stopped Sam as he was about to do something like offer his help and reassurances that things were going to be alright again. He watched the subtle, near invisible emotions fly across the girl's eyes. You'd have to know what to look for to see them and Sam didn't. A wink and a smile, a joke to cover the pain, the loneliness. Gentle promises of safety weren't going to be the thing that made her open herself to them, if she even could.

"I was four and I still remember the way the smoke smelled, the way it sounded." He said fighting through every instinct telling him to shut up, shut down and avoid what he didn't want to face.

"What?" She asked looking up at him frowning.

"You wanted to know about the house right?" He asked quickly. She nodded warily. "Alright then shut up and listen cause I'm not gonna tell it to you twice.

"It started in Sam's nursery, the fire. I don't remember things to clear, just what it felt like. Hot and dirty, but cold like it was tearing everything apart and didn't give a damn about what was being destroyed."

Dean was well aware of his family staring at him in shock. He ignored them and tried to tell what he knew as fast as he could. The words, partly memory, partly cobbled together from what John had told him of that night, were like a rush of air after being under water for too long, painful and hard, leaving you wondering if it'll ever feel okay to breathe again.

A heavy silence fell over the group as he finished telling the story of That Night. No one interrupted him, he never looked away from her eyes, that became more and more shadowed as his rushed story came out.

"Fire doesn't care. It never cares." She said finally to herself. Jack was more resolved than ever not to tell about her power. She was ashamed to feel a twinge of fear. How do you tell people who hate the fire that you're the human equivalent.

"What happened? Who did it take from you?" Dean asked keeping his voice low but not gentle. No, gentleness wouldn't work with this girl, he saw too much of himself in her.

"Parents. In New Orleans. Uncle raised me." She answered clinically finding a space on the wall behind him and staring at it.

"I'm sorry." Dean said, pity creeping into his voice.

"I didn't know them well." She said her eyes flashing defiantly, daring him to feel sorry for her.

"You should have your uncle come talk to us about this thing. If its the same situation." John said coming forward seeing opportunity. They'd been looking for the Demon's other victims and here one just fell into their laps.

"He's dead." Jack answered rising to her feet. She wanted to get very gone as soon as humanly possible.

"I've got to go." She mumbled.

"What? Where are you going?" Sam asked jumping to his feet too.

"Early dinner rush at Denny's." Jack gave him her best smart ass smile and sidestepped him before he could block her from leaving.

"Wait, it isn't safe for you." Sam said grabbing her arm. She reacted on instinct, grabbing the gun from behind her back.

Sam let go instantly and Dean grabbed him back putting himself between the weapon and his brother. His father pulled out his .45 pointing at the girl.

"John don't!" Missouri exclaimed. For a long moment nobody moved.

"I don't like being touched." Jack said swallowing before putting the gun back behind her back.

"Sorry." Sam said flinching at the way she walled herself off from them.

"Me too." She turned to go, this time no one stopped her.

"Are you a hunter?" Dean called when she got to the front door.

"No, I just want to go my own way." Jack said hesitating with her hand on the doorknob.

"Sorry about the fire groupie thing, thought you were nosy neighbors," She said turning briefly to meet his eyes awkwardly. "Wouldn't have said it if… yeah."

She walked out the door, forcing herself not to look back. She was so far inside herself she didn't feel the decidedly non-human gaze on her. Cold, hate filled eyes watched Jack as she climbed on her bike.

'Got you.' He thought taking a deep breath to make sure the scent was right. Yes, it was definitely her.

AN: I'm not going to be able to update for a few days. My charger for my laptop melted, yes it melted, so I'm on borrowed time here. Until I can buy a new one I'm going to have to conserve my comp usage. sighs Okay enough self-pity. Hope you like this chappy. Thanks for all the reviews.:)


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: See previous chapters**

**AN: Woohoo I borrowed a neighbors charger. I have to give it back in about two or three hours so lets get on with the show. BTW, underage drinking is bad, the last thing I need is for someone under 21 to read this, get drunk and blame me.**

"So, we following her?" Sam asked in the aftermath of having a gun put to his head.

"Yup." Dean said casually throwing his keys in the air and catching them.

"Be careful boys, she's a wild one." John warned.

"We will sir." Dean said reaching for the doorknob.

"We'll see you guys at the house." Sam added on his way out.

"I like her." Dean grinned opening the drivers side door.

"Yeah, always nice to meet someone more fucked up than you are." Sam said smiling crookedly.

* * *

John looked at Missouri with his eyebrow cocked and slipped the gun back in its holster under his coat.

"Well, that was new." He said and she nodded

"She's a real wilting flower, that one." Missouri muttered sarcastically.

* * *

The boys followed behind Jack's bike without bothering to hide themselves. There weren't any other cars out in the middle of a Tuesday afternoon anyway. They followed her as she turned into a bar they'd both frequented in their time in Lawrence.

"Is she old enough to drink?" Sam asked frowning in disapproval.

"I had my first drink at fourteen." Dean said shrugging. Just then there was a tap at the window and a slightly irate looking redhead was staring at them with her arms crossed over her chest.

"Stealthy." She said sarcastically when they got out of the car.

"We try." Dean answered leading the way into the bar.

"Sammy thinks you're to young to drink." Dean told her as they entered the bar. The place was nearly empty and the lighting sucked, it fit all the criteria for drinking yourself stupid with no one looking twice at you.

"My i.d. says I'm twenty one." She held up the card for them to see.

"It also says you name is Ellen Kline." Sam said reading the card.

"I don't look like an Ellen to you?" She asked sitting down at the first booth they came to, only slightly annoyed when the two brothers sat across from her without being invited.

"What's your real name?" Sam asked her.

"You don't believe the one I gave you at the house?" She asked pretending to be hurt at the question to her honesty.

"Hell no." Dean said giving her a look.

"Well I guess you'll just have to live with your curiosity then." She replied smoothly. Jack reclined in her side of the both crossing her legs over each other and leaning her head against the dingy wall.

"What can I get you boys?" A busty, blonde waitress asked coming to their table leering at the men across from Jack.

"A couple a beers." Dean said and raised a questioning eyebrow at Jack. The waitress wrote it down, like it would be so tough to remember, Jack thought rolling her eyes, and turned to leave ignoring Jack's existence.

"If you boys need anything else, don't hesitate to ask." It was obvious what she meant by everything else by the way she bent slightly to reveal the full power of her fake cleavage.

"Oh waitress, waitress." Jack said sweetly holding up a finger to the woman, Trixie her nametag said. She turned around with a fake smile plastered in her face.

"If your done servicing that side of the table, I'll have a shot of Jack." Jack said sweetly but the subtle insinuation in her voice. The woman's smile faltered a bit but she wrote it down and walked away to the bar

"Damn and I was hoping I'd get to try out my new fake i.d." She said shaking her head in mock disappointment.

"That was mean." Dean said laughing as he watched Trixie hustle up their drinks.

"She was rude and slutty." Jack said tacking on the last part for his benefit.

"Just Dean's type then." Sam cracked rolling his eyes at his brother

"I don't like rude woman." Dean shot back making Jack snort with laughter. It was too easy to be comfortable with these guys.

"You put a gun to my head." Sam accused narrowing his eyes at her a little.

'Fun times over.' Jack thought.

"The sky is blue, your eyes are green and her breasts are fake." Jack said sounding bored. "Anymore obvious facts I missed."

"You always this sarcastic with everyone?" Sam asked frowning.

"Not just anyone sweetheart, your special." Jack said nodding seriously.

"You followed me here." She stated after a tense silence.

"The sky is blue, your eyes are brown and you're too young to drink. Any other obvious facts to state." Sam shot back.

"I like this one." Jack said grinning at Dean.

"Got him for half off at the pet store. I wanted a puppy though, less upkeep." Dean said. The waitress arrived then and out of sheer habit all conversation stopped at the table.

"Anything else?" She asked, her hand lingering on Dean's beer bottle as he reached for it.

"No thanks, honey." He said winking at her. She smiled wide and shot a dirty look at Jack before leaving her shot in front of her and retreating back to the bar.

"Jack Daniels? That's hard stuff." Dean said indicating at her drink.

"I can hold my own with a shot glass, can you?" She said with a hint of a challenge.

"Can we talk about something that isn't the waitress's chest or drinking?" Sam asked not touching his beer.

"We could but its not as fun." Dean said. Sam gave a martyred sigh and touched the pocket he'd stashed the sketch in.

"Damn now you look like I put your puppy in a blender." Jack said sighing. Damn puppy dog eyes, she thought, downing her shot in one gulp. She grimaced as the liquor burned down her throat followed by that feeling of alcohol simulated warmth she'd been searching for. She gestured to the waitress for another, wondering if the woman would actually acknowledge the order.

"What do you want?" She asked.

"What do you want? You were at the house for a reason. In my dream you were in trouble, bad trouble." Sam said keeping his voice low as the waitress passed them by leaving Jack's drink hap hazardously on the corner of the table. Jack grabbed it up before could fall.

"I remember it now." Jack said a little bitterly. It was annoying having someone plugged into her psyche, even for a little while.

"You do?" Sam looked excited.

"Yup." Jack said drinking down her shot, a little slower this time but still too fast for Sam's taste.

"I can't believe I'm drinking with someone underage." He said frowning at her and Dean, who didn't seem to care that they were breaking yet another law.

"Boy scout." Dean accused.

"Relax, I'm twenty." Jack lied if only to reassure Sam that they weren't breaking the law by much.

"Bull. Nineteen tops." Dean said emptying his beer bottle. He waved over the waitress, who hurried eagerly to their table.

"I'll have what she's having." He gestured to Jack's empty glasses.

"Make that three." Jack added.

"None for me." Sam ground out finally taking a sip from his beer.

"Who said it was for you. Golden Boy's gotta catch up." Jack said. "You can go now." She said to the waitress still standing there waiting for something.

"Golden Boy?" Dean asked.

"For the thirty seconds I didn't know your name." Jack explained.

"What was Sam's?" Dean asked

"Andre the Giant." Jack answered smiling as Dean burst out laughing.

"Great, now there are two of them." Sam said to himself.

Awhile later the three of them were laughing like old friends and absolutely no closer to learning anything about one another, besides each other's ability to drink most normal people under the table.

"How you doin over there doll?" Dean asked gesturing at the glass Jack was holding deciding whether she could take another. Her and Dean were tied and Sam was four behind. After much teasing and being called a boy scout one to many times, he'd joined the Jack Daniels gravy train. The waitress left the bottle on their table after a few times of having to walk back and forth to quickly refill their glasses while Jack and Dean razzed each other about their drinking ability.

"I can hold my liquor darling, are you sure you can?" Jack asked. Her head was buzzing pleasantly, but she wasn't quite drunk. She was better than that. Apparently Dean was too because after who-the-hells-counting-anymore drinks his eyes were still glittering and aware.

"So how long have you been hunting?" Sam asking slurring over his words a little.

"Not a hunter, I told you already." Jack scowled at him.

"How long have you been at it?"

"All my life." Sam answered sounding a bit resigned to the statement.

"After it happened Dad found out what goes bump in the night and we started hunting." Dean explained.

"Ohhhh." Jack nodded.

"How did you find out what's out there?" he asked casually but his eyes betrayed him.

"I didn't find out about magic and mayhem because of the fire. I was born into it." Jack said a little surprised at her own eagerness to have someone anyone to talk to who might get it.

"What d'ya mean?" Sam asked.

"My family had a history of the supernatural. Psychics and such." Jack drawled, her long buried Louisiana accent peeking through the more she drank.

"A southern girl." Dean grinned catching it.

"Louisiana darlin, straight out the Bayou." Jack said with an exaggerated New Orleans drawl.

"Your parents were psychic too?" Sam asked fascinated.

"Nope. Mama Fonty read the cards though and Uncle Chris had visions like you." Jack let it slip before she could stop herself.

"Mama Fonty?" Sam asked and she wanted to kick herself. She was right, it was way to easy to talk to these boys, to feel at ease. She should leave but she couldn't seem to make herself want to like she could at their old house.

"My grandmother on my dad's side." She explained looking away.

"She tell you to come here looking at the house?" Dean asked.

"No, Its just me now." Jack said in a way that said the subject was closed.

"Oh."

"Yup." Jack said grabbing the half empty bottle and taking a deep swig.

"We should stop now." Sam said taking the bottle gently but firmly from her hands. Jack glared at him but let it go.

"We'll take back to wherever your staying." Dean said rising from the table and dropping a few bills down on the table. Sam slid out after him and held out his hand to Jack to help her up.

"I don't need help." She said quietly meaning more than just the lift.

"Its still okay to ask for it sometimes." Sam said offering her a small smile. She watched him a for a long second before taking his hand and letting him lift easily from her seat. She pulled away as soon as she was standing, steadying herself without any help.

"To the bat mobile." She said pointing to front and started walking. She made it the car before them, silently wondering what the hell was possessing her to take a ride from these veritable strangers.

"Hold up." Dean said catching up with her long strides. He reached into his pocket for his keys.

"Maybe we should just walk." Sam said thinking about how much they'd all had to drink. They'd been out for hours, it was already dark out.

"My hotel's not that far." Jack scoffed at him leaning heavily on the hood as Dean searched through his pockets.

"Where the fuck are my keys!" He demanded. Jack couldn't hold a straight face at the look of rage and fear on his expression.

"You thief." He accused as she took the keys form her pocket and dangled them at him.

"If I had any morals they'd be offended by that statement." She said laughing. Sam was laughing hysterically. As she danced just out of Dean's reach when he lunged for the keys.

"Give em." He whined.

"Say pretty please." Jack said grinning.

"With sugar on top." Sam added.

"Sam! Your supposed to be on my side. Working together against a common enemy." Dean said infuriated by his brother's fair weather er, brothering.

Too bad the comment only made him laugh harder.

"Aww don't cry Deanie." Jack said tossing him the keys. He caught them easily even though he was fairly inebriated.

"Pain." He called her.

"Bitch." She retorted.

"Get in the car." He said roughly unlocking the driver's side door and lifting the manual locks so she and Sam could get in.

To keep Sam from lecturing him on the dangers of drunk driving Dean drove extra carefully in the direction of the motel Jack told them. He grimaced at the site of the place, its not the worst place in the world to stay. Hell, he's stayed there before, he's stayed at worse places too. He just didn't like the thought of a young woman staying there alone at night, bad ass or not.

He knew he'd wreck all the progress they made that night though, if he offered her a place to stay at Missouri's.

"Come tomorrow so we can talk some more." Sam says to her as she opens the door.

"Where?" Jack asks not saying no but not saying yes either.

"Missouri's. That's where we're staying." Sam says giving her the address.

"We'll see." She replied memorizing the directions he gave without needed to write them down.

"Thanks for the ride." She said tapping the hood and slamming the door.

She doesn't wait for them to leave before going inside her room. She locked the door behind her and managed to collapse on her bed before her cell phone rang. Only a couple of people in the world knew the number, so she answered it immediately.

"Hey Billy." She said into the phone closing her eyes.

"Your drunk." Billy told her.

"Nice to hear from you too. And I'm not completely drunk." Jack retorted giving him a look through the phone.

Billy snorted into the phone. She could imagine him rolling his eyes at her.

"Just wanted to find out how you were doing? You sounded upset the last time we spoke." Billy said referring to a call a few weeks before, when she was still in Oklahoma City. When she first found the full story of her parent's death in a letter Chris had left in a safe deposit box for her.

"I'm tired." Jack answered surprised by how true it was.

"Listen Jackie why don't you come on down to 'Bama and rest up for few. Tommy misses you." Billy said soothingly. He was fighting dirty mentioning his thirteen year old brother, who Jack had a soft spot for.

"Maybe when I'm through here." Jack said sighing. Ever since she saved them from a group of hungry vamps a year and a half ago Tommy and Billy had barged their way into her life. And she'd let them, always keeping on her toes and never staying in Birmingham with them for more than a few days every couple months. She spoke to the boys regularly on the phone though.

"Where are you?" Billy asked sounding hopeful. He always asked where she was. She never told him, it was a tradition.

"Disneyland. I'm about to get my picture taken with Snow White." Jack said smiling into the phone. Billy gave a long suffering sigh.

"Alright I guess I'll see you when I see you." Billy said finally.

"Take care of yourself." She said as usual before hanging up. She drifted into a deep dreamless sleep, thinking about how she was going to end up going to see The Winchester's the next day.


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: NotMineNotMineNotMine

Jack shot up in bed an hour after falling asleep, stone sober. They were here, she could feel them. Jumping up from bed Jack staggered and grabbed her duffel bag. She took out a machete, a Glock and shoved her backpack over her shoulder. She was in the parking lot when she realized she'd left her bike at the bar.

'Idiot,' She told herself clenching her teeth. She started at a dead run toward the bar.

'Shoulda been more careful, should've seen it coming.' She chastised herself. Adrenaline was what kept her from falling over, puking on the sidewalk.

She made it to the bar in record time and gave herself half a second to be relieved to see her motorcycle, then she was on it and speeding towards the address Sam had given her. The vamps had caught up with her and as usual they decided to drag outsiders into their fight with her. She could feel their hate. Jack revved her engine and pushed the bike as fast as it would go.

* * *

Sam and Dean walked through the front door and were bombarded with questions.

"Where were you?"

"Where's the girl?"

"Did she try to shoot you again?"

"Did you find out anything else about her connection to the Demon?"

And then Missouri got a chance to talk.

"You boys are drunk." She accused hands on her hips glaring at them. John was rubbing his head where she'd whacked to get him to stop rattling off questions.

"Nu uh." Dean said swaying a little proving her right.

"Just as little." Sam admitted sheepishly.

"Answer my questions boys. Now." John said shooting Missouri a warning look not to do that again.

"Bar. Hotel. No. And no again, sir." Dean answered all his questions standing a little straighter. His eyes were glazed over and he looked like he was fighting a laugh.

"You went out and got drunk with a strange girl, whose probably not old enough to set foot in a bar and then you come home with nothing new." John said incredulously.

"She's coming over tomorrow. Maybe." Sam said defensively.

"Maybe?" John demanded.

"Yes, and she's hear for us to help her, not to pump for information." Sam spat out. John narrowed his eyes at his youngest son.

"She didn't seem to need any help putting a gun to your head." He pointed out.

"She was scared." Sam said simply.

"You sure about that? I think your judgments a little clouded because you think Jessica brought her here." John said stepping closer to Sam.

"Shut up!" Sam snarled. He got into his father's face, fists clenched at his sides. The alcohol he'd had was making his short temper worse.

"Dad Sam stop." Dean tried to get in between the two men. They'd been pretty good about their alike tempers for the past few months but Dean knew it couldn't really last. He was resigned to being the peacemaker again.

"Wait." The whisper echoed through the room, stopping everything. Missouri's tone more than anything else is what stopped them. Her eyes widened in fear.

"What is it?" John demanded turning to her.

"Something bad." She said and that was all they needed to hear. John stomped out of the room to get his guns and Dean pulled a still fuming Sam up the stairs to get their weapons.

"I can't believe he said that." Sam growled taking his shotgun and loading it with rock salt. He snapped it shut hard, then took out his throwing knives.

"Forget it dude." Dean mumbled grabbing his twin .45's.

"How can you expect me to-"

"Because something's coming our way and if you'd stop thinking about your own shit and do whatever psychic shit Missouri's been trying to teach you, maybe we'd know what that something is." Dean said harshly.

Sam thought about what Dean was saying, hating it that he was right. He took a few calming deep breaths and closed his eyes, concentrating the way Missouri taught him. He tried to open himself up, let whatever was out there in. For a long second he felt nothing. Then he felt them. Coming from two different directions. One was alone and he could only feel it faintly, the fine lines of panic and anger turned inward. The other was clearer and more than one thing. It felt cold and hungry and… triumphant?

"Its more than one." Was all he said to Dean before flying down the stairs and out the back door. The back door face the direction where he felt them.

Sam stopped dead in the middle of the back yard and took aim at the dark of night. Nothing was there that he could see but he could feel them.

"Sam!" Dean called running out after him.

"Sam, what the hell do you think your doing?" Dean demanded pressing his back to Sam's and taking aim at the opposite direction. He couldn't see anything their but his Hunter's instincts told him that they weren't alone.

"Their here." Sam said sweeping the area with his eyes.

"Where?" Dean asked. Before he got a chance to answer a woman stepped seemingly out of nowhere.

"Here." Kate said baring her teeth hatefully at them. Two men were by her side an instant later.

"Wonderful a reunion." John said pumping his rifle taking aim at the vampire. The two men took places in front of his sons preparing to attack at a moments notice. John inched carefully between them and Kate, who hadn't moved an inch.

"What the hell do you want?" Dean spat out. And here he'd thought they were through with these bastards.

"The girl." One of the men said sniffing the night air and smiling grotesquely. The roar of a motorcycle could be heard around the front of the house.

Jack practically jumped off her bike while it was still running. She tore her helmet off and ran around the back of the house. There, three vampires faced off against three irate hunters and wouldn't you know it, the topic of their conversation was little ole Jack.

"Really boys I'm flattered but you don't have to fight over me." She said pulling her knife from its sheath and forcing herself to walk calmly towards the group. Sam and Dean were back to back one vampire on each side facing them and her bestest galpal Kate was standing a few feet in front of them. John was aiming a rifle straight at her chest.

"Walk away." She said planting herself firmly between the Winchesters and the parasites.

"Get back Madeleine." Dean yelled at her. It took her a second to register that he was talking to her. Damn fake names.

"Walk away or die here." Jack said with deadly calm. Her voice was so cold that Sam flinched.

"Your in no position to give orders, Jack." Kate said hatefully.

"Fuck you bitch, you can't touch me and you know it." Jack said smirking. She tensed up minutely preparing for a fight.

"Are you so sure?" Kate said and like that the men were on her. One on each side grabbed her arms. She lashed out with her blade catching one of them in the a rm. He fell back with a snarl but grabbed hold again wrenching the knife from her hand. She expected him to recoil in pain when his skin touched hers but he didn't. There wasn't time to be shocked because chaos erupted around them..

Dean sprang to action unloading a clip into one of the vampire's back. Sam lunged for the other, smashing the but of his shotgun against his skull. His grip loosened and Jack pulled free, launching a bone shattering kick into the other vampire's stomach. He was already staggering from the bullets but that wouldn't stop him, just slow him for a second. She got close enough for him to grab her around the waist.

"Get down!" She distantly heard John say and he fired off a shot. She had a second to hope that wasn't aimed at her guy.

He went for the easy hit the way she'd hoped, grabbing her around the waist and baring his teeth preparing to bit into her neck.

"Merrick don't!" Kate shouted. The vampire practically threw her away from him howling in agony. Jack didn't give him a chance to recover form the spell's effect, she lashed out with her mind, setting his hands ablaze. He fell to the ground, slamming them into it to put the fire out.

"Fall back." Kate commanded anger evident in her voice. She looked loathingly at the man writhing on the ground. Her shoulder was bleeding where John's shot grazed her.

Jack jumped up from the ground. Her face was scraped and she felt the effects of her hangover coming back but none of that was important. Sam and Dean moved in unison to her sides and John stepped in front of Jack, forming a protective wall around her.

"Walk away from this Kate. Leave me alone and leave them alone." Jack snarled at the woman pushing her way through the men. The others were protesting, telling her to get the hell back behind them but her eyes were fastened on the woman in front of her. She picked up her blade from the ground and pointed it at her.

Memories flashed before her eyes. Chris lying on the deserted roadside, dead. A bloody hole where his throat used to be. Her trying not to snap right then and there. The killing rage that filled her.

"Have you forgotten what happened almost you fucked with me and mine?" Jack forced the words past the lump in her throat. The thickness in her voice made the words sound like more of a threat, more menacing.

"We'll figure out a way around your little charms, pyro bitch and when we do I'm going to tear you to pieces myself." Kate promised. Then she was gone.

"Promises, promises." Jack mumbled. She came back to the present and winced at the thought of turning around to face the onslaught of questions waiting for her.

"So, how was your evening?" She joked turning around. None of them were in the joking mood though, so when John tersely ordered her inside she ignored the instinct to tell him to go to hell and walked in through the back door.

"What the hell was that?" John demanded.

"John wait a second, let the girl sit first." Missouri scolded. She walked up to Jack and pulled her towards a chair at the kitchen table. Jack let herself be pulled because she equal parts surprised by the woman's compassion towards her and just plain nauseous from the adrenaline wearing off from the fight. It couldn't have lasted more than a few minutes but it showed her that there was a hole in her defenses.

John was staring a hole in the side of her head, waiting tensely for her to speak. Sam was pulling a first aid kit from under the sink, setting down on the table beside Jack. He pulled a chair in front of her, opened the kit and reached for her hand. She didn't realized till then that it was bleeding. Jack pulled away from him instinctively.

"Please." Sam said gently holding his hand out for hers. Jack bit the inside of her cheek and let him clean and dress the wound.

Dean took a seat opposite the table from her, his eyes shadowed. His shirt was torn on the sleeve, blood was starting to well up from a deep slash there.

"You should see to him first." Jack said feebly.

"I'll be fine." Dean said waving the comment off as Sam turned to look at his brother.

"Yours is more serious. I'll need to stitch it up." Sam said agreeing with Jack. His rose to get a needle and thread for some homemade stitches, Sam Winchester's specialty. He sat in the chair next to Dean when he returned.

"Your name's Jack or is that another fake?" Dean asked not angrily but with understanding.

"Jack Fontenot." Jack answered.

"Pleased to meet ya." He said smirking. She smiled and shook her head.

"How do you know Kate?" John finally burst out impatiently. Missouri rolled her eyes at him from her place at the counter, making coffee for the fighters.

"I can probably name all the living vampires. There aren't to many but I've met more than my share." Jack said looking down at the table.

"How? Why do they want you?" John asked. She raised an eyebrow at his sons.

"Dad why don't you let me?" Sam told him, bitterness about their argument still tainting his voice.

"What's their grudge against you, Jack? It seems like overkill sending three after one girl." Sam said threading the needle through Dean's arm. Dean stiffened for a second in pain.

"You have no idea. This is one of the smaller attack squads." Jack said rolling her eyes.

"She seemed to know you guys too." Jack stated.

"Killed her mate." Dean said shortly. Jack grinned wide.

"Oh so your the ones. I was wondering why Luther took a break from gunning after me. Then I heard he got a lead on some hunter there and ended up dead." Jack said laughing mirthlessly.

"That's about the short and sweet of it. But why'd he want you?" Dean asked.

"His blood brother, I killed him." Jack said.

"You did?" Sam looked at her curiously.

"Now the rest want me very dead." Jack told them nodding.

"There's only about a handful left in the world." John said frowning. It took all three of them to take down the ones they'd killed in the fight to get the Colt, how had this girl managed to piss the vampire population enough that they'd all go gunning after her?

"And they basically passed my sweater around for a community sniff or something. They all have my scent and if someone catches it the fun starts. I got a short reprieve when they were going after you guys but I'm guessing breaks over." Jack said wearily.

"You have a real way with people. Anyone ever tell you that?" Dean joked.

"All the time, sugar." Jack said giving him a flash of a smile.

"So that's what my dream was about?" Sam said sounding relieved. So relieved Jack couldn't hold back a glare when Missouri set him straight.

"That's not all that's coming for her. Is it Jack?" She said putting a cup of strong black coffee in front the three formerly inebriated drinking pals.

"Nope, I make friends everywhere I go." Jack said sarcastically. She drank a mouthful of the bitter drink and was relieved that some of the spinning in her head stopped.

"Again, you said you weren't a hunter." Sam pointed out to her.

"I'm not. I'm the huntee. I only kill things that come after me." Jack told him.

"Why'd you kill Luther's brother?" John asked the million dollar question. She clenched her teeth and forced a level calm voice.

"He killed my Uncle Chris and I got a little perturbed." Jack answered. It was the understatement of the century.

"When?" John asked a little more gently than he asked his other questions. Jack focused on the cupboard behind him.

"Two years ago."

"What else?" He asked. There had to be more to the story. Why else would Missouri have said what she did?

"What do you mean?" Jack made eye contact with him, all innocent expressions he saw right through.

"If you only hunted the one vampire that killed your uncle than why are you being hunted by other things?" John asked.

"Why do you hunt?" Jack asked abruptly. This line of conversation was hitting her hard where it hurt the most, it was getting harder for her to keep a blank face.

"The demon that killed my wife is still out there, so I hunt it." John answered.

"What is it?" Jack asked remembering for the first time that night why she was in Lawrence in the first place.

"You first." John said. They stared at each other, neither giving in the slightest.

"Well this could take awhile." Sam mumbled. He snipped the ends of the thread and watched his father play battle of wills with Jack.

"She's got you stubbornness, honey." Dean joked inclining his head proudly.

"Jackass." Sam said pushing his head.

"Which one do you think will blink first?" Sam asked getting up to refill his mug. He added cream and sugar this time and stood by Missouri at the counter.

"Both stubborn fools. We've got serious business to talk about and their having a staring contest." Missouri said. She made a noise in her throat and grabbed a spoon from behind her. Without any warning she rapped on John's knuckles.

"Ow fuck!" John exclaimed shocked. Sam burst out laughing and Dean covered his mouth to stop himself to no avail.

"And you, stop being mysterious and tell them about it. They won't try to hurt you because of it." Missouri said shaking the offending spoon in Jack's face.

"Damn, you saw." Jack said after a moments shock wore off.

"Don't cuss in my house." Missouri raised the spoon in warning. Jack nodded eyes wide. The psychic walked back to the other side of the kitchen mumbling about hunters being pains in her ass.

"What does she mean?" Dean asked composing himself, his eyes were still shining in laughter. Sam bit off a chuckle when John glared at him rubbing his reddened knuckles.

"My gift is very very rare. So rare that a lot of bad things want it for themselves. My power attracts the supernatural like moths to a flame and those vamps were just the tip of the iceberg." " Jack said. Anger built up in her at the memories her words conjured.

"What can you do?" Sam asked interested. Jack hesitated looking from face to face. She stopped on Missouri who nodded encouragingly.

"Go on, honey." She said sympathetically.

"I'm pyrokinetic." Jack said. She waited for the weight of her words to sink in. When they did John recoiled from her, standing up and walking out of the kitchen.

"Its not like being a pyromancer, they can say a spell and get a flicker then set fire to something. Glorified bic lighters." Jack said in disgust.

"I call fire, control it. I can feel it too. Where a fire happened, how it started. I can feel a match being lit form across town."

"That's why you came here." Dean said, a statement not a question.

"I wanted to know what tried to get to me through my family." Jack said

The tension in room was palpable. The boys were looking anywhere but at her. Both slightly ashamed that they were afraid of her, of what she'd just told them about herself. When John came back in the room he joined the heavy silence easily. Part of him knew it was unfair to feel this, she couldn't help a gift she was born with, but he hated fire above all things except the thing that killed Mary.

"What did you mean when you said they couldn't touch you?" Sam asked trying to change the subject.

"After I killed him, I decided to take precautions since I was all alone now." Jack said speaking low picking at a splinter of wood that had come loose on the table.

"What kind of precautions? And how do I get a supernatural hands off posted on me?" Dean asked smiling a little at her to show he wasn't going to try to shoot her for something she couldn't help. He wondered silently though, if she hated her gift the way Sammy hated his.

Jack let out a ghost of her usual grin and stood up. She slid off the her jacket and slowly pulled up the bottom of her sweater so they could see most of her abdomen. She would've laughed at the way their eyes widened if things weren't so tense and serious.

She knew the tattoos by heart, every curve and symbol. Protection charms branded into her skin from different cultures and eras. They were beautiful she knew, the result of hours of pain and blood with a needle pressed to her sensitive skin. Each symbol came from a charm book she still carried with her.

"What did you do?" Sam asked reaching out but catching his hand before he touched them.

"I protected myself." Jack stated turning around to show them the symbol on her back.

"The Devils Trap." Dean said in shock. There it was printed he and complex across her spine. In either side were curlicues making it look like some fantastical design instead of what it was. But anyone that knew these symbols would know how to pick them out in the complex design.

"But that's to keep something evil from removing something." Sam told her. She turned her head to smirk at him.

"That's a long, thoroughly messed up story. A dark shaman threatened to rip out my spin and beat me with it. I thought I'd air on the side of caution" Jack explained.

"You seem to have that effect on people." Dean cracked tracing the lines with his eyes. The familiar symbols looked a little different though, modified.

"I had to tweak it a little to work on human skin." Jack answered the unasked. She let the shirt fall back into place and turned to face them arms crossed.

"Have some on my arms too, smaller, most of them are repellents. They must've figured a way around those. Which is you know, all sorts of not good." Jack said biting her lip. She looked up then.

"Your turn to talk." She said to them.

TBC….

AN: That's not the last we've seen of Kate or her buddies. They really don't like Jack :D


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I wish they were mine, but I only own my characters. On with the story.

"What is it?" Jack asked cutting straight to the chase.

"How do you know we know anymore than you do?" John asked her.

"Because nobody would be so protective of information they don't have." Jack said adamantly. She crossed her arms over her chest stubbornly.

"All I know is something killed my parents when I was a baby, something killed your wife and I'm pretty sure it killed the woman from me and Sam's dream too. I could feel the fire on her."

"We don't know what its called." John said clearing his throat.

"You're a real crack detective, anyone ever tell you that?" Jack asked raising an eyebrow. She was sickeningly disappointed.

"We know some things." Dean said defensively.

"Just not its name?" Jack asked.

"It wasn't wearing a nametag when it came after us." Dean retorted.

"We know its a very powerful very old demon." John cut through their bickering with a single look. He chose to ignore Dean sticking his tongue out at the girl.

"How does it die?" Jack asked. Silence settled over the kitchen.

"We only know of one weapon that can kill it. A gun we found awhile back." John finally answered.

"Where is it?" Jack asked.

"Its safe." John answered.

"You can't go after this thing on your own if that's what your thinking." Sam said to her. "It nearly killed us when we tried."

"I'm not gonna mount a crusade, I just want to know what this thing is so when it comes for me again I know what I'm up against and how to get away from it." She said.

"How do know its going to come after you?" Dean asked sitting up straighter in his chair. John leaned forward listening intently.

"Chris told me in his letter. He had visions that it was." Jack answered.

"What exactly did he see? What will it do next? Let me see this letter." John demanded. Jack studied him with guarded eyes..

"This is where I stop talking." She told them. Sam could see the walls slamming down around her again, cutting them off from what was happening in her head.

"What the hell do you mean? This could be important, if he saw something that could help us kill it once and for all, make it right again." John hissed at her.

"That's not my fight. I have no interest in revenge, got that out of my system already. I'm more concerned with staying one step ahead of the game." Jack said using all her energy to sound as cold as she could.

"Its everyone who's involved in this shit's fight!" John replied angrily. He slammed his hand down on the table startling Jack. Her hand unconsciously tightened in the handle of her knife.

"You don't have to show it to us." Dean said suddenly, seeing the subtle action.

"What?" John and Jack asked in unison.

"The letter you don't have to show us. If its too personal." Dean started again slowly.

It was stupid, it was irrational and it was completely right. Logic told Jack she was being ridiculous, but hers were the only eyes that had ever looked at those two precious letters form her beloved uncle and surrogate father. They were all she had left of him, them and a few pictures from years past. The only indulgence she allowed for herself. No one was allowed to read them but her.

"I want to go." Jack said ignoring how close to home his guess hit. Her stomach was starting to burn with hunger like it always did after using her gift and she was dead tired.

"It isn't safe out there. They're probably waiting for you to leave." Sam argued.

"I'll be fine, its nothing I haven't gone up against before." Jack said tugging on the ends of her hair. A nervous tell from when she was a kid.

"Stay here, just for the night. That way at least Sam and me won't have to stand guard outside your hotel room all night." Dean suggested.

"I don't recall asking for a bodyguard, let alone two." Jack said glaring at him with little heat.

"To damn bad cause you got 'em." He said smirking cockily.

Her stomach growled loudly then, to her utter embarrassment, making Dean smile wider. It wanted her to stay eat and get some sleep. Unfortunately she usually ended up siding with her stomach. John was still fuming in the corner, Sam was giving her that damn puppy dog look and Dean was smiling triumphantly, like he knew her hunger had final say in this argument. She was uncomfortable with people she only knew for a grand total of twenty four hours knew more about her than almost any living person.

"I spend the better part of twenty years avoiding the supernatural and now I end up having a sleepover with a bunch hunters and a damn psychic." Jack said in defeat.

"That's irony for you." Dean said.

"Irony yeah, reality's bitchy cousin." Jack said shaking her head. Her life was one giant ball of fucked irony.

"Can I get some food? I'm starving." She asked.

"You ever get hungry after your visions?" She turned to Sam. He seemed surprised by the question.

"No, but-" He stopped talking and looked like he was thinking something over.

"But what?" Jack asked.

"I moved a bureau once with my mind and I was famished afterwards." He told her surprised, like he'd never connected the two events before.

"That's how it is with me. Using it takes so much energy I have to replenish fast and a lot." She said hinting towards Missouri, who got what she was trying to say.

"Its midnight I'm not cooking. You want something make it yourself and you'd better clean up after yourself." She told the younger girl.

"Ma'am yes Ma'am." Jack said saluting Missouri and jumping to her feet. She swayed for a second but managed to catch her balance on the table. She laid her machete on the table and both her glock and her .38.

"Damn girl. You don't travel light do you." Dean said whistling as she placed the weapons on the table.

"Got a gun kink." Jack joked in a better mood as she walked to the fridge.

"Do you get the headaches?" Sam asked eagerly. He wanted to know what someone else like him went through, other than Missouri.

"Yeah but only if its a lot of fire." Jack said pulling out bread, cold cuts and some cold chicken that was in the fridge from last night's dinner.

"Chris emptied his stomach every time he had a vision." She added. Sam nodded in understanding.

"I have a theory about the headaches." Jack said facing him as she spread mayo on the bread.

"Which would be?" John asked mildly interested despite his foul mood.

"The amount of concentration it takes to use a gift can do a number on your brain. I think it makes the blood vessels constrict so not enough oxygen gets to the brain, resulting in a migraine." Jack said.

"I have no clue what you just said." Dean said.

"No air in brain means bad pain." Jack told him.

"If I'm right about that there's a chance we could stroke out and die while using these gifts someday." Jack said flippantly.

"Its just a theory though, right?" Sam asked his eyes widening.

"Yeah, what the hell do I know about medical stuff?" Jack said shrugging going back to her sandwich. When she was done she brought a plate of cold chicken and her thick, could feed a small elephant sandwich back to the table. Dean raised an eyebrow at her. Missouri just stared for a second then retreated to put some extra blankets in her last remaining guest room, thinking how lucky she was that she had a big house and a full fridge.

"I probably should've warned you guys that 'help yourself' isn't a good thing to tell me when it comes to food. I once got banned from an all you can eat food chain." Jack said taking a huge bite out of her sandwich.

"You know you still haven't told us how you knew about our house." Sam said sounding hopeful.

"You can't expect to hear all my secrets in one day can you?" Jack asked smiling mysteriously. She took another bite.

"I have a feeling you have more than a few." Dean stated stealing a piece of chicken from her plate. She glared at him as he popped it in his mouth.

"I have more than my fair share, but don't you guys too?" She asked.

After she was done cleaning up her mess and she'd gathered her mini arsenal Jack was taken upstairs and shown where she would sleep that night. The room was pretty, not to girly as she would expect a single woman to decorate. It was comfy, with a rocking chair in the corner an a bed with a chest of drawers. It reminded her of the vague memories she had of Mama Fonty's house, not so much the look but the feel.

"Just for a night, then you can leave town tomorrow night." She told herself. She was adamant about the last part. She ignored the bad feeling it gave her to leave. Whether she liked it or not she liked these people, understood them and what was more miraculous they understood her.

"All the more reason to go." She told herself as she stripped out of sweaty clothes and tossed them aside. She reminded herself to shower in the morning and placed the six shooter under her pillow, leaned the knife against the bed knife point down for easy access and placed the other gun on the little bedside table. She opened up the little back pack and pulled out the precious envelopes that were in there. She always slept with them under her pillow, next to her gun.

On a whim she opened the flap on the first one and pulled out the letter.

"Ma Petite Enflamme,

"If your reading this I'm already dead…."

That was as far as she got before putting it back. She'd read the letters so many times she knew every word by heart. It was her and Chris's macabre tradition. Every time they split up with the plan to meet up in a couple of days, every time he took a job that meant he had to go off by himself, they would exchange "If I die" letters. Then when they met up again they would burn them without reading them. If you read them prematurely you put fifty bucks in the jar. Only a grand total of a hundred dollars ever went into that damn jar, both times put in by Chris because he was a curious bastard. Jack smiled at the memory, then frowned. She only ever opened one of his "If I die" letters, an hour after she left an anonymous 911 call for them to go to the deserted stretch of highway he'd died on. The corners of the envelope and letter still had smudges of blood on them. She read the letter before doing anything else that night.

Jack pressed the envelope to her lips, put them under her pillow and turned off the bedside lamp.

Dean was at the window in Sam and his room. He was looking out for movements he wouldn't see. His fists were clenched at his sides.

"Dean? What's wrong?" Sam said coming back from the shower seeing his brother there.

"Nothing Sammy." Dean said to Sam's reflection in the glass. He wouldn't let himself turn around.

"C'mon Dean I know that's a lie." Sam said putting a hand on Dean's shoulder. Dean flinched away and turned rapidly to sit down on his bed turned away from his brother. Not fast enough. Sam saw the broken look on his face and the tears welled up their that didn't dare fall.

"Dean." Sam said kneeling down in front of Dean.

"Its been a long day Sam." Dean said forcefully willing him away from him.

"I know but its going to be alright, right?" Sam asked swallowing. It scared him seeing Dean look like this. He wasn't the type to fall apart, ever.

"Yeah, yeah it will be." Dean said trying to sound reassuring but it just came off as distracted. He didn't have the energy to ease Sammy's fears and keep himself together tonight.

"Sometimes its just a little harder." Dean said when Sam wouldn't give up. He looked at the window again trying to build up his wall of self protection again. The day, talking about his mother, hearing some of Jack's story. It wore on him and he hated that.

"Lets get some rest, it'll be better tomorrow." Sam said giving Dean's shoulder a shake. He wasn't used to being the shoulder to cry on for Dean, mostly because Dean didn't cry, it was against all laws of nature as he knew them. He was the emo brooder. Dean was the one who let nothing get to him.

"Yeah." Dean mumbled. He stood up and walked back to the window, pulling the curtains closed.

"Night Sam." He said turning off his lamp and laying down. Sam stood there for a moment watching his brother feign sleep.

"Night Dean." He finally said going to his own bed to lay down. Sleep didn't come for either of them but they didn't speak again that night.

"Do you trust her?" John asked Missouri in the living room.

"Yes I do." Missouri said without a second thought.

"We don't know a lot about her." John said.

"She's in pain. I know that." Missouri said in a sure voice.

"You can't read her mind." John pointed out.

"Not clearly, no. She's got some powerful walls built around her, might even be a little telepathic." Missouri mused.

"Will she run?" John asked.

"I think so. I hope not. But I think she doesn't know any other way." Missouri said sadly.

TBC…………

AN: 'Sigh' I wanted this chapter to be longer but I'm having one of Those Days. And I didn't want to put too much of my people induced bad mood in the story and end up messing it up.

Hope you enjoy it. Please review I need the mood boost.:)


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: Yes, yes they are mine. Hold on there's someone at the door. Answers front door and sees a man in a suit standing there

"Hello sir, what can I do for you today?"

"I'm afraid you've been served." Hands her a piece of paper and walks away

"Cease and desist the claiming of any ownership of supernatural or its beautiful fucked up boys…" She reads out loud.

"Hmm it actually says that." Clears throat

Okay they aren't mine. On with the story.

* * *

Dean woke up earlier then everyone else, a feat considering he'd only slept about three hours the night before. He moved stealthily through the house so as to not wake anyone else with either his footsteps or his thoughts. Which shows the odd home dynamic they lived by, he thought. 

Once outside he went through his training. Exercises and drills that were second nature to him. He worked till his muscles burned and sweat poured down his back.

"Enjoying the show?" He asked without turning around.

"Always." Jack answered. He turned to look at her sitting on the railing of the back porch watching him intently. Her red hair was still wet from the shower and she was wearing one of Sam's monstrously oversized hoodies, it came down to her knees. Anyone who saw her would definitely get the wrong idea.

"Woke your brother up to ask for a t-shirt or something." She explained. He nodded and walked up the steps to join her on the porch.

"You're good." She said conversationally.

"Thanks, you didn't do to bad yourself last night." Dean replied taking a drink from the water bottle she offered, nodding in thanks.

"You ain't seen nothing of what I can do, Golden Boy." Jack said smirking arrogantly. Dean laughed and took a seat opposite her.

"So Miss I'm Not A Hunter, what do you do when your not running for your life?" Dean asked.

"That's about all of it. That and Ski Ball. I love that game." Jack answered. "What do you do when your not hunting?"

"Lets see Hunt, sleep, Save girls from vamps…" Dean trailed off.

"You didn't save shit, Dean. I'm no damsel in distress." Jack said pointing her finger in his face.

"Alright, alright don't get your panties in a twist." Dean teased her.

"Who says I'm wearing any?" Jack couldn't resist saying. She laughed as he choked on his water.

"Damnit you got a dirty mind. Maybe you should try thinking with your upstairs brain." Dean told her coughing.

"Yeah, yeah. I was raised by a man I can locker room talk with the best of 'em." Jack said proudly.

"What do you really do in your off time?" She asked him.

"We're here now recuperating, or we were. Got hit by a Mack truck awhile back." Dean said.

"A Mack truck! Damn even I can't boast that shit. Demon?" She said.

"Demonically possessed, yeah." Dean answered shortly. Jack took the cue and changed the subject.

"You said you were recuperating? What are you guys doing now?" She asked.

"Sammy and dad are trying to find other fires that match ours. They want to track down the survivors and-"

"And what? Tell them "Hi a demon started that fire of yours. Do you know anything about that?" Jack said skeptically.

"I don't think they've thought that far ahead." Dean said. Secretly he'd been thinking the same thing. What were they supposed to say to these people and what right did they have to expose them to the dirty truth about the things in the dark?

"They should just stop that it won't lead to anything good." Jack said wisely.

"Did you try? Is that how you found out about us?" Dean asked.

"Chris did the dirty work just after the fire, looking for similar shit. He dropped it for the same reason I'm telling you to. He barely mentioned that period in his letter. I just asked around about a Winchester place when I found out the truth, it sounded familiar. I probably heard of you guys somewhere along the way and just forgot about it." Jack explained.

"The letter again?" Dean said with a hint of a question in his voice.

"An "If I die" letter." Jack said sighing.

"An optimist I see." Dean said.

"Yup that was us, always looking on the bright side of life." Jack said with a small smile. It was a little bit true. She was raised on the "Life's a bitch, but a fun one." Philosophy.

The back door opened and Sam stepped out yawning. He eyed them both sitting on the porch.

"What the hell are you guys doing up so early?" He asked groggily.

"Talking about how cute your butt is, Francis." Dean told him.

"Jerk."

"Bitch."

"He's lying, we were planning our get away. He says I'm less girly than you." Jack teased.

"Yup with her around I won't have to put up with any more chick flick moments." Dean said grinning.

"I need coffee to put up with just one Dean in the morning." Sam said retreating into to the kitchen for a much needed caffeine jolt.

"Get me some too." Dean called to his brother.

* * *

Jack spent a good portion of her day in Missouri's kitchen. She volunteered to fix breakfast, lunch and eventually dinner. It had been awhile since she had tasted her own cooking. 

"Damn girl where'd you learn to cook like this?" Dean asked munching on the blackened chicken she'd made.

"You can't come out of New Orleans and not know how to cook decent Cajun food." She shrugged.

Even John was warming to her a little bit and she was grateful for that. He couldn't help starting to like the charming girl, especially when she joked and laughed so easily with his son's. Once upon a time he wouldn't associate with anyone they didn't get along with. That seemed like eons ago.

She kept putting off making her exit. She didn't want to slink off into the night the way she always did, but she couldn't see any other way. If she tried to tell them Sam and Dean would probably just follow her back to the motel and keep watch on both the exits. The younger seemed convinced it his job now to take care of her, whether he knew how to or not. And Dean was being a smirky bastard, helping Sam with his assumption.

"I gotta go." Jack finally forced herself to say abruptly once the dishes were done.

"Okay." Dean said. It took a second to understand him.

"Okay?" She asked warily.

"Okay, we'll take you to get your things and come back. You can't wear Sam's clothes forever." Dean said with Sam nodding along. He gave her that all knowing grin of his. He knew exactly what she'd meant and he wasn't going to let her off that easy. She glared at him and thought of her options.

"Well then I suggest we leave now before I catch a draft." Jack said, formulating her escape plan.

"Such a lady." Sam said rolling his eyes at her. Much to Missouri's disapproval and John's amusement she'd spent the day parading around in his sweatshirt. One of clients had nearly walked into a wall when he was watching her instead of where he was walking. After that she was banished to the back of the house for the rest of the day.

"That's me, classy to the core." Jack said giving her most charming smile.

* * *

Dean drove Jack to her motel, laughing silently as she fumed about having to leave her motorcycle behind. Sam sat in the backseat next to with her machete hidden in his lap. He kept a sharp watch out the window, noting any tiny shift in the dark. Jack rolled her eyes at him and went back to brooding. 

"Home sweet home." Jack mumbled as they stepped over the threshold to her room. Everything was as she'd left it, the covers thrown back in her haste to get out of there the night before, her little cell phone resting on the mattress and her duffel bag packed up and ready to go.

"You got this place rigged up good." Dean complimented noting the salt and charms. Just stepping into the room gave him a small feeling of safety and security. He took the liberty of taking down the charm hanging on the window sill and gestured for Sam to get towel for the writing.

"Don't touch those." Jack said scowling at him. She popped her cell phone and checked her messages. Two, both from Tommy. She'd call him when she was out of Kansas. She put the phone in her backpack and snatched the charm away from Dean.

"Your not staying here it isn't safe." Dean said calmly.

"Who said I was staying here?" Jack asked crossing her arms over her chest.

"Your not running off either. Those things will kill you. Sam had a vision you needed help." Dean said slowly, talking to her like she was an idiot.

"I don't help. I can survive on my own." Jack told him.

As if to contradict her completely that was when the Molotov cocktail crashed through her window. Dean pulled her out of the way and yelled for Sam to stay in the bathroom as the table erupted in flames. Another cocktail and the whole bedroom was going up fast.

"What are you doing!" Dean yelled as she dove for the floor near the table. She grabbed desperately for her backpack headless of the danger.

"Wait." She yelled as he picked her up and threw her over his shoulder. Dean swore and scooped up the damn bag too, before running to the back of the room

"You were saying?" Dean said putting her down not to gently on the bathroom counter top. He slammed the door shut against the fire.

"Shut up." Jack said. She turned around and grabbed the towel from Sam's hand.

"Get the towels wet so we can get the hell out of here." She commanded turning on the sink.

"I thought you could control fire." Sam said grabbing a towel and soaking it. The smoke was quickly filling up the room under the crack under the door. The temperature rose fast as the fire spread.

"Its not that easy." Jack snapped. Her eyes burned with smoke.

"C'mon." Dean said taking the towel from her hands and wrapping it around her shoulders. He took the one Sam offered him and pressed it to his mouth so he could breath. After checking see Sam doing the same he hustled the two of them out with himself in the lead.

He was the first to see the snarling vampire step over the destroyed doorway into the room. No sills or doorway, no protection from the big bad, he thought, fuck.

Merrick was joined by the same man from the night before, smiling sadistically at the three humans.

"Well this is awkward." Jack said dropping into a fighting stance.

"Ya think!" Dean growled.

"Die." Merrick hissed lunging at Dean. Dean pulled out his gun and fired of a round, that Merrick dodged. Sam moved to back him leaving, Jack facing the other.

Jack darted forward attacking the other vampire. Only half of the barrage of roundhouses and kicks connected. She could hardly see and her lungs were filling with smoke. She worked to dodge him and keep the fire at bay as best she could. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Sam slice through one of Merrick's arms, Dean immediately threw him face first into the fire that surrounded them. She was thrown against a wall and landed next to her duffel bag on the floor. She grabbed it and rolled under the bed. Her shoulder connected with a piece of heated metal on the frame and she cried out in pain, she could smell her own burning flesh.

Jack grappled with the zipper and pulled out a long buck knife with a Latin inscription in the handle. The boys were still struggling with Merrick, she could feel his body in the fire.

"Sam!" She heard Dean cry out and that was her cue to join to attack.

She sprang up on the opposite side of the bed and took a millisecond to take in what was happening. Dean was holding a thrashing Merrick down in the fire, burning himself too in the process, yelling for the other to let go of Sam. His brother pinned against the wall with the vampires iron grip around his throat. His had his teeth inches from Sam's throat as he struggled to get away and to breath at the same time.

"No." Jack said to herself and broke out of her stupor. She ran forward and grabbed his hair hard jerking his neck back impossibly. If he'd been human she probably would have snapped his neck. He howled in pain and she plunged the knife deep in his throat and tore it across, nearly severing his head. Blood erupted from the wound onto Sam. He fell to the ground and rolled away from them as Jack plunged the knife into his heart next.

"Jack, stop!" He grabbed for her and pulled her back before she fell into the fire under the dead vampire's weight.

"Lets go. Dean!" He said pulling her to her feet. She nodded and grabbed Dean as hard as she could. He let go of Merrick and ran with them as the fire collapsed around them without Jack to hold it back.

The burst out of the room coughing and sputtering to see the chaos of the formerly peaceful night. The fire had spread rapidly to the other rooms, or maybe they'd just started fires everywhere to herd her out. Fire trucks were sounding in the distance and people were running around frantically, counting heads, making sure their families were present and accounted for. Jack had a second to be relieved that the bystanders seemed to be all there before a woman's anguished scream cut through the air. She whirled around to see a Hispanic woman being pulled away from the room next door by a man as she tried to lunge back into the fire.

"No my baby, my baby!" She was screaming. Jack concentrated and made out the shape of a child still inside the room against a back wall. No one else could see her cowering in fear and reaching for her mother, but Jack could.

She pulled dropped her knife on the pavement and ran through the fiery remains of the doorway. Some part of her felt Sam try to grab hold of her to keep her back but instinct took over and she was out his grasp without a second thought. The fire seemed worse in there then it had been in her room and it took all of Jack's concentration to beat it back with her mind, she was getting tired fast and she'd lost sight of the little girl. A scream in the far left corner told her where a tiny dark haired girl no more then five was huddled. Her nightgown was burnt and stained with smoke and tears were streaming down her face. She didn't think twice about reaching out to Jack.

"I want my mommy." She howled as Jack scooped her up.

"Its okay, baby, we'll get to her." She raised her voice to be heard over the roar of the fire and the sirens that were right outside now.

Jack made a break for the door but the frame fell down over her blocking her path. Jack searched frantically for way as she clutched the little girl protectively. The spotted the little bathroom window out of the corner of her eye. It was big enough for the little girl to get through, she saw and ran to it as fast as she could, ignoring the pain as her feet touched the burning carpet. Jack shattered the window with her elbow and grabbed a towel to place over the broken shards so the girl wouldn't cut herself.

"Climb through honey." She said keeping her voice soothing so she wouldn't scare her any more than she already was.

"What about you!" The girl shrieked.

"I'll be right out after you." Jack promised her smiling shakily to get the girl to believe her.

"Promise?" The girl asked stubbornly. Jack had a second to be shocked that girl seemed to be more worried about Jack getting out too than anything now.

"I promise." Jack said lifting her up and practically pushing her thought the window.

When she heard the girl shout that it was her turn she nearly laughed. Jack pulled herself up to the window sill and pushed herself out headfirst. The broken glass cut into her stomach but she squeezed herself through while the little girl shouted worriedly for her to hurry. She landed rather ungracefully on her side, with the girl barreling into her as soon as she was safely on the ground. For a scared kid, she had iron bear hug grip.

"So heroic." Kate's venomous voice cut through the night.

"Run fast and don't look back. Now!" Jack told the girl pushing her off. She felt a moments relief when she was obeyed instantly and Kate didn't bother the child.

She glared at the woman and pushed herself to her feet, very much aware of the fact that this could be it for her.

"Well are you going to kill me already, I haven't got all night." Jack snarled at the woman. Kate took her advice and pulled out a 9mm. She smirked at Jack before squeezing the trigger. The force of the bullet in her left shoulder threw her back against the motel wall. The pain burned through Jack fast, the last of her energy was gone. This was it, she thought.

Jack's vision went black then she couldn't be sure if the sound of Sam and Dean calling her name and a gun going off was real or not.

TBC……..

AN: Oooh this was probably my favorite chapter to write so far. I'm such a sadist with my lovely characters. Thanks for the wonderful reviews. Blows kisses


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: If you haven't caught on yet, you never will. No own Supernatural.**

Dean shot once, twice, three times at Kate before losing sight of her. Every squeeze of the trigger sent shockwaves if pain through his arm. He dropped the gun, his hands shaking from the effort of holding on. They were burnt badly from holding that fucking monster down for so long. For trying to hurt his family he'd made it suffer.

"Jack!Jack!" Sam was shaking the girl trying to get any kind of response.

"Move Sam." Dean ran to them kneeling in front of Jack's prone form. He felt for a pulse with his one semi-uninjured finger and felt it going rapidly under the sweat soaked skin of her throat. The sleeve of Sammy's sweat shirt was crimson, she was bleeding out fast, too fast.

"Sam." He said and Sam understood, he scooped her up fast but carefully and the two men ran around to the front of the motel where the ambulances had just arrived.

"We need some help here!" Dean called running toward the nearest paramedic. He took in the bloody broken sight of the trio and gestured for a gurney.

"What happened?" The man demanded taking her from Sam and placing her on the gurney. Two more paramedics lifted her into the ambulance behind them.

"She was shot in the arm." Dean explained calmly.

"By who?" He asked.

"The fuck should I know. Do something she's bleeding to death for fucks sake!" Dean yelled stepping closer to the man. The paramedic took one look at Dean, wild eyed and dead calm at the same time and dropped his line of questioning.

"We need to get her to the hospital." A female paramedic said cutting away the sleeve to reveal the gory mess of Jack's shoulder.

"I'll ride with her." Sam said hastily. He sent Dean a look telling him to get to Missouri's and tell them what happened.

"Are you two family?" The man asked.

"She's our sister." Sam answered. He nodded at him and let the female close the ambulance doors.

"Sir we need to get you into a separate ambulance." The man said turning hesitantly to face Dean again as the ambulance took off.

"What the fuck for?" Dean growled, this guy was really starting to piss him off.

"Your hands."

"I've had worse." Dean said and shoved past medic boy to just in his car. He grimaced in pained forcing his hand to close over the key in the ignition and the other on the wheel. He'd have to be extra careful not to crash the car, too bad he wasn't in a particularly careful mood.

The last thing he saw when he looked back in his rearview mirror was a little girl running to her mother, who was sobbing and clutching the girl for dear life.

"What's your sister's blood type?" The woman asked Sam as she applied pressure to Jack's wound. Jack twitched in pain, though she was still unconscious. He guessed it was good that there was any response.

"O." Sam answered. He had no idea what it really was, but he knew type O was the Universal donor.

"How old is your sister?" The woman asked as they worked on her, he wondered if it was really important or if they were just trying to keep him form going into shock. He would have scoffed and told them he'd seen worse but he was to busy trying to remind himself of the same thing. Trying not to feel like he'd failed to protect Jack the way Jessica asked him to, the way Jack kept saying she didn't need him to.

"19." He answered another question he wasn't qualified to answer. They worked on her and asked him more questions, he told them more lies. No allergies to medicines, no medical conditions they should know about. He hoped he didn't kill her on accident.

"Hey, she's going to be okay." The woman put her hand on his arm as they pulled up to the Emergency room doors. Sam looked her in the eye for the first time and thought incongruously that her hair was almost the same color as Jess's. He nodded and moved out of their way so they could rush Jack inside.

"I should have asked this before but we need to know your name and hers." She asked him stepping out hastily.

"Chris and Jackie Fontenot." He answered grasping at the first name he could think of.

After Jack was rushed into surgery and he was looked over briefly Sam had nothing to do but sit in the waiting room outside the O.R. and wait. He finally decided it would be a good idea to wait outside the emergency room for when Dean and the others showed up, since they wouldn't know what names he'd given. It bugged him for a few minutes, why the name Chris spilled out of his mouth so easily, before he remembered that was Jack said her uncle was named.

* * *

"I'm a joker, I'm a smoker I'm a midnight toker….." An off key male voice sang somewhere in another room. Jack smelt pancakes and smiled. Chris was making breakfast, he always sang when he cooked and always the same damn song. He must've let her sleep in again.

She snuggled deeper in her blankets, wondering why she wasn't getting warmer. She finally gave up and kicked the blankets off but when she tried to sit up pain tore through her body, especially her left shoulder. She screamed and jerked forcing open her eyes.

"Sedate her!" She heard someone say. What she saw made no sense. A white room, bright lights, people. She jerked around trying to see and wrap he head around her surroundings frantically. She saw men and women in scrubs, an I.V. being taped into her arm, blood filled fluid bags and the pain, fuck, the pain. She thrashed momentarily wanting to get away not understanding why they were doing this to her but her limbs grew heavy and soon she couldn't keep her eyes open. She saw a pair of concerned eyes hover over her for second before disappearing.

'But your dead.' She though sluggishly after the familiar warm brown eyes were gone. Then the dark took over again,

'Don't let them take me.' She thought reaching out but to who she didn't know. The dark was where the shadows lived.

* * *

Sam jerked awake nearly falling off the stone bench he was sitting on. He hadn't realized he was asleep until the voice in his head woke him up.

'Don't let them take me.' She'd whispered into his mind. He felt a cold clench of fear Jack felt as she slipped back into unconsciousness.

Just then the Impala skidded to a halt, parking in front of where Sam sat by the entrance and Dean and John tumbled out.

"Did you hear that too?" Dean asked running up to him looking thoroughly spooked.

"Don't let them take me?" Sam asked jumping up from his seat.

"Yeah. It was Jack right?" Dean asked.

"She was scared." Sam said unnecessarily.

"You okay Sammy?" Dean asked looking worriedly at his brother. He felt his clammy, pale skin and winced. The flicker of pain in Dean's eyes snapped Sam out of his lethargy.

"You have to see a doctor now." Sam said pulling Dean by his arm, careful of his injured hands, into the emergency room. They pulled aside the first nurse they saw and against Dean's protests that he was fine practically dragged him to the ICU. None of the orderlies were willing to get close enough to Dean to do it themselves. Once Dean was being taken care of John pulled Sam aside.

"Jack's in surgery." John said gruffly.

"Yessir." Sam answered.

"Dean says she's a hero." John said.

"Saved a little girl back at the motel. Nobody else saw her in the fire." Sam answered tensely.

"Saved you too." John said. Sam stared at his father expecting to see a chastising scowl but John's face was unreadable.

"Yessir." Sam said standing straighter. To his surprise John sighed and look him over worriedly.

"Are you alright?" John asked trying to read any sign of pain in Sam's face or body language.

"I'm fine dad." Sam said biting his lip. John nodded and looked into the open door to where Dean's burns were being looked at. John gave Sam one last long look and they headed in to see Dean being patched up.

"No wonder you wear so many layers Sammy, damn near fire proof with all that shit on." Dean grumbled but he looked relieved that his brother was okay for the most part.

"On the bright side at least I'm not the worst injured this time." Dean said trying to break some of silent tension in the room. It wasn't working though. The memory of their last hospital stay was still to fresh. And then they'd all know deep down that they'd be fine. They were Winchester's, there was no other option. Jack wasn't a Winchester, not being okay was a strong possibility and each of the men knew it.

"Wow." Dean breathed out.

"Yeah, I know." Sam answered.

**TBC………**

**AN: Aww my poor Jack. Don't worry though she's a tough cookie. Already got a sarcastic comeback for the lecture that's waiting for her when she wakes up. Also the song Chris was singing is The Joker by The Steve Miller Band in case anyone was wondering. And he does sing really bad :D**

**Till next time……..**


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: See all previous chapters.

"The bullet nicked a main artery that's the reason for the heavy blood loss, other than that it mostly muscle damage, bullet went straight through." The surgeon told Sam, Dean and John. After Dean was bandaged up for second degree burns they'd made their way back to the O.R. waiting room.

While they waited John explained why it had taken them so long to get there, they had to go back and snatch up the gun Dean dropped behind the motel and forgot about before the police found it. Then the surgeon, a Dr. Wilson came out asking for her family and was immediately surrounded by three very large, disgruntled men.

"So what your saying is that aside from nearly bleeding to death she's the picture of health." Dean said.

"Dean." Sam pulled his brother back and gave an apologetic glance to the doctor. He had hand it to the man, he wasn't intimidated in the least.

"Sorry, she's the baby of the family." John explained giving Dr. Wilson a charming smile and a warning glance towards Dean.

"Its okay, I've seen my share of overprotective big brothers." Dr. Wilson waved it off like it was nothing.

"I'd like to speak with you on some matters though." He said to John turning serious.

"Yes."

"She was shot at close range, any idea who would want to do that?" Dr. Wilson asked. John almost groaned, the guy had cop syndrome, damnit.

"I can't imagine." John answered looking suitably panic stricken at the idea.

"Her tattoos point to one conclusion." The doctor told him, "We don't get a lot of gang activity here but-"

"She's not a gang member." Dean scoffed.

"Then who-" He started but Dean cut him off.

"Near sighted hunter, my sister does a mean Bambi impression." He said smirking.

"Dr. Wilson I would answer your question if I could. Believe me." John said before the surgeon could ask another well meaning question.

"That isn't the only problem sir." He told John.

"What else?" John fought the urge to tell the man to mind his own fucking business.

"There's evidence of previous injuries, serious ones." Dr. Wilson let his meaning sink in for a moment.

"That's our Jack, clumsy to the core." John said with a sad smile, like he'd given the answer to at least a dozen doctors about his son's while they were growing up. Back then a simple boys will be boys would suffice, this could take a little more finesse, he thought.

"Yeah, I always said she could trip sitting down." Dean chimed in.

"Most people don't have pins in their shoulder from falling off a chair." Dr. Wilson told them, his mouth set in a firm line.

"That was a car accident from several months ago. We all had to do some time in the hospital." John answered.

"I could pull the serial number on the surgical pins and check on that." The doctor said not backing down. John was seriously considering shooting the man, but he thought the hospital might frown on that sort of thing.

"Please do." Sam said giving his best innocent boy scout smile. Dean and John snapped around to look at him. He ignored them both and focused on the doctor.

"Actually sir, I was supposed to get an x-ray to check my leg but I never got around to it. Do you think you could check it now?" Sam asked sincerely.

"Sure, I think we could manage that." Dr. Wilson said hesitantly, sounding unsure.

"Thank you sir." Sam said looking relieved. "When can we see Jack?"

"She's being taken to recovery right now. She'll be asleep for at least a day." The doctor told them. He gave them all a wary once over before turning to leave.

"What was that Sam?" John asked.

"If he sees that my leg was broken he'll believe about the car accident, at least I hope he will." Sam said.

"Good work Sammy." Dean patted him on the shoulder, forgetting his thickly bandaged hand.

"Fuck." He hissed shaking his wrist.

"You'll be a real ladies man with those oven mitts your sportin, son." John said trying not to laugh. Sam didn't even try.

"No touch and feel system for you huh, Dean?" Sam asked as Dean glared daggers at them.

"I'm injured and you guys are laughing at me." He mumbled,

"I'm gonna tell Missouri what you said about her apple pie if your not careful dad. I believe the phrase was baked puppy chow." Dean said smugly.

"Your gonna tell on your old man?" John asked incredulous.

"Bet your ass I will Sir." Dean said impudently. He ducked behind Sam as his father swatted at him.

"Children could you please behave?" Sam rolled his eyes as John tried to get at Dean who was using Sam as a human shield.

"Stand still so I can smack you Dean." John said.

"That's not much incentive for me to stand still old man." Dean teased.

"Old man?!"

"You heard me."

"Yeah I did and frankly I'm surprised you know the word incentive."

"Aww, your just getting touchy in your old age."

"Um excuse me." A nurse meekly approached the grown men roughhousing in the middle of the waiting room. The men froze remembering where they were.

"Yes?" John didn't move from his position with one hand pushing Sam's head down so he could reach Dean, who was holding Sam's arm up to defend himself. Sam for his part was close to asking what floor the psych ward was on.

"Um Dr. Wilson said one of you needed an x-ray." She said frowning at them.

"Yes Ma'am." Sam said and pulled himself forcefully away from the Winchester sandwich. As soon as Dean had no shield John cuffed him upside the head.

"Ow!"

"That's what you get."

"Are they-" The nurse started.

"The worry must've gotten to them, our sister's very precious to us." Sam said lamely. He let the bewildered nurse lead him away to the x-ray machines. He didn't glance back when he hear a heavy 'oof' followed by his brother laughing loudly.

"They're your family?" The nurse asked.

"Mental illness runs in the family, skips every now and then." He said smiling at her.

* * *

His x-ray showed a nicely healed beak and the pin in his knee, Sam was sure Dr. Wilson would be the first person aside from the tech and him to see it. He understood, if he were a doctor looking at any of them, he'd wonder what the hell was going on too. That didn't make the suspicious glance he gave to Sam later any less annoying though. Luckily he didn't press the issue any more after that.

They were shown to Jack's room, where she was hooked to a blood bag, and I.V. and several machines monitoring her heart and breathing. She was deathly pale from the blood loss, but other than that she seemed to be doing fine. Sam took the seat next to her bed while Dean sat on the edge of the other bed in the semi-private room. John sat on the window sill. None of them noticed they instinctively took positions close to or in front of any entry points.

Sam looked away from Jack's sleeping form when he heard a zipper being undone. To his surprise Dean still had the backpack Jack had almost incinerated herself trying to rescue.

"I thought you dropped that thing." Sam said.

"Me too, forgot I had it till now." Dean said pulling out a spiral bound journal with a rose printed on the cover, an uncharacteristically feminine touch. He smiled a little and put it aside, next he pulled out a silver photo album the size of his fist. It was tarnished but showed the owner took great care of the object.

"You shouldn't be doing that." Sam said disapproval clear in his voice.

"I'm not going to read her diary or anything, Geek boy I just want to see what was worth burning for." Dean said. A hair brush, a tube of lip gloss, a butterfly knife and brass knuckles were all that was left in the main compartment, so he moved to the smaller zipper in the front.

Two envelopes, both with the name 'Jacqueline' scrawled in cursive. The top one had reddish brown smudges and was well worn, probably from being read hundreds of times. The second looked a little newer, the ink still dark and barely a crease on the envelope. He looked them over but he didn't read them, he knew what they were.

He carefully replaced the rest of the contents, keeping only the album out. He opened the thing carefully, it looked like an antique and looked inside. The first photograph was a close up that showed a pretty dark haired woman smiling shyly into the camera. She had Jack's bone structure, high cheekbones and delicate features, but she lacked the full lips and exotic tilt to her eyes that the man standing at her side held. He was two heads taller than the woman standing next to him. The man's dark gold hair reflected slightly by the setting sun behind them. He was smiling proudly down at the little bundle in his wife's arms.

Dean turned the photo over and read, in the same flighty hand as the envelopes:

_Annabelle, Thomas and Baby Jacqueline. _

_Age six weeks. 1988_

Dean gently put the picture aside. The weight on the bed shifted as Sam's curiosity got the better of him. He picked up the first picture, studying it.

"They look so happy." Sam said to himself.

"Yeah." Dean agreed turning his attention to the next picture. In it a man with light reddish gold hair was holding a flame haired toddler. Mud speckled her clothes and nearly covered her red pigtails. The man was laughing into the camera, his eyes crinkled up. The little girl was grinning ear to ear with a smile that obviously hadn't changed in the years since it was taken.

_Me and Jack age 3. She could already outclimb the other boys, gotta work on the balance thing though._

The note on the back said affectionately. Dean put handed that one to Sam too. The next showed a sturdy old woman with shrewd brown eyes and white hair sitting in a rocking chair on the porch of a big house. Trees were everywhere around the house in the picture and a little dock showed in the far corner with a row boat tied to it. The lady had an all knowing smirk, looked like a tough old broad too, Dean thought, instantly respecting the woman.

_Mama Fonty at home on the bayou 1996 R.I.P_

The next photo showed Chris by himself smiling into the camera. His golden brown eyes held a mischievous glint and he had Jack's smile. More of her face belonged to him than her father, he saw. He had laughter in his expression like he'd let you in on a great joke just by smiling at you.

_Christopher Fontenot, Age 37 2004 R.I.P_

Different handwriting graced the back of this photo. Hurried tilted handwriting. Dean glanced at Jack and tried to ignore the place where the pen ink was a little smudged with a trailing tear shaped water mark.

The rest of the photos were of the two of them over the years. 'Sparks' took the place of Jack or Jacqueline in the last few pictures. Some had the names of places in the back; Sanford, Topeka, Belvedere, Denver, Phoenix, so many towns and cities. In more than a few Jack was scraped or muddy, the tells of a tomboy with her age scrawled in the back. The last was of Jack only a little younger than she was now, in a pretty blue dress and her longer hair pulled back in a twist. She was blushing a little in the picture.

_Jacqueline Annabelle Fontenot _

_Age 15. 2003 _

'She is just a kid.' Dean thought reading back over the years. He sighed wondering if he would have been able to handle being alone at seventeen, hunted by monsters with nowhere to turn for shelter. He glanced at his father looking out the window distractedly and at Sam who was laughing softly at a picture with Jack at six, holding a little boy in a headlock and decided that he would've gone insane.

* * *

That night John left the hospital to go stay with Missouri in case of trouble back at the house and Dean and Sam took turns sleeping so one of them could be awake to in case of trouble at the hospital. Sam insisted on taking first watch since Dean was hurt, he wouldn't take no for an answer from his big brother.

It wasn't till early the next evening that the sedatives wore off and Jack woke up.

"Mmmmm." She mumbled opening her eyes slowly and immediately closing them again, the too bright lights hurting her over sensitive eyes.

"Jack. You alright?" Sam asked quietly from her bedside. Dean had gone to see about some food for them.

"Sam?" She asked groggily bringing her right hand up to shield her eyes as she attempted to open them again. She felt the pull of the I.V. of fluids that had replaced the blood bag sometime during the night.

"What happened?" She asked rubbing tentatively at her temples, her head was pounding so bad she could barely speak.

"We're at the hospital. Kate shot you." Sam said gently.

"In the head?" Jack asked through clenched teeth. She knew that wasn't the case but it damn well felt like it.

"Here." Sam said reaching for the button controlling her painkillers and upping the dose.

"Thanks." Jack said. She tried to move a little to a more comfortable position but pain stabbed through her left arm.

"Just relax." Sam said firmly putting his hands on her to stop her from moving to much.

"Hey she awake?" Dean asked balancing two trays of food on his bandaged hands.

"No its the voices in your head talking." Jack slurred.

"Nah I took my Thorazine today." Dean grinned and set down the trays.

"What did you tell the doctors about me?" Jack asked.

"Just let yourself relax for a few before thinking strategy Jackie girl." Dean said sitting on the corner of her bed.

"Just tell me." Jack said glaring at him with little effect. It was hard to be intimidating when you could barely move, she was finding out.

"He told them you were pretending to be Bambie when a hunter shot you." Sam said rolling his eyes as Dean laughed at his own joke.

"Bambie's a boy." Jack pointed out.

"Yeah, that's the part of the story that's hard to believe." Sam said sarcastically.

"I had to say something, the man thought you were a gang member or something." Dean explained.

"Was I singing 'When your a Jet.' In my sleep again." Jack asked.

"Only the chorus." Dean answered.

"Cops?" Jack asked stubbornly refusing to relax till she knew what she was dealing with.

"Dad dealt with them, not sure what he told them, before you ask. And if anybody asks you your our beloved baby sister, who falls down a lot." Sam said.

"Should I be wearing a helmet too." Jack asked smiling.

"If you think it'll help us get a better parking space." Dean answered.

"What name does your darling little sister go by?" Jack asked them. Her headache receded to the back of her head as the painkillers took action.

"Jack Fontenot." Sam said.

"What?!" Jack shot up in her bed. A wave of nausea hit her and she felt a jerk on her arm where the needle was taped in. She immediately fell back against the pillows moaning in pain.

"Was that not right?" Sam asked getting a bad feeling in his stomach.

"Well, lets see considering that I'm technically a missing person, I'd say no its not good." Jack said holding her stomach to keep from throwing up.

"Missing or runaway?" Dean asked.

"Doesn't matter, we gotta get out of here." She answered trying to get up despite her body's protests.

"No you have to rest." Sam said sternly pushing her back down in her bed. She couldn't fight against him without hurting herself so she didn't try but if looks could kill….

"This is going to suck." Jack muttered settling back against the pillows.

"I told them you were nineteen so I doubt they'll call children's services." Sam told her trying to sound reassuring.

"Why would they do that?" Jack asked suspiciously.

"The pictures in your bag had dates written on the backs, I did the math." Dean said unashamed that he'd gone through her things.

"You son of a-"

"Hey now lets not start calling names Sparks." He said calling her by the nickname written on the back of several photos.

"Don't call me that." Jack told him clenching her fists.

"Fine but your not leaving here in your condition." Dean said.

"If they run my name through the system and someone who knows me catches it they will make the call." Jack told him.

"We'll worry about that when it happens." He said shrugging.

"Fine, but be warned, a force darker and more determined than any you've ever met will come here looking for me." Jack said grimly.

"What?" Sam asked leaning closer to her automatically. Dean's hand went to his pocket where he had a small handgun stashed.

"My social worker." Jack said, her lips twitching upward. Sam scowled at her.

"You're such a smartass." He said.

"You had me worried for a second there." Dean said un-tensing.

"You should be, fifty bucks says the woman comes here herself. She's a bit mad at me for running away from foster care after only three days" Jack said wrinkling her nose in distaste.

"You're such a people person." Dean said sarcastically.

"Yeah I know, I'm thinking of getting into social work myself, find the human connection and all that." Jack retorted.

"Just relax for now, we'll look out for rogue social workers." Sam said frowning at her. "I swear, your not afraid to run into a burning building but an overzealous public servant scares you."

"She tried to hug me once, it was very traumatic." Jack answered groggily. With pain killers came sleepiness and she was already exhausted.

"I'll only sleep for a couple of hours then we gotta get me gone." Jack said trying to sound forceful as her eyes drifted closed.

"Just sleep you stubborn pain in the ass." Dean said ruffling her hair affectionately. Jack mumbled something he chose to ignore and then she was out again.

"We should call dad, see about a jail break here, in case she's right." Dean said turning to Sam.

"She needs to stay still." Sam protested.

"If we don't take her out of here she'll try to leave by herself." Dean argued taking out his cell phone and dialing.

Before he could finish dialing there was a tap at the door. He turned and saw an attractive woman in her early thirties standing in the doorway holding a file folder and a no nonsense frown.

"My name is Madeleine Keith, from the Louisiana Department of Children and Families. I'm here to see Jacqueline Fontenot." The woman introduced herself stepping into the room.

"Got fifty bucks I can borrow Sammy?" Dean asked snapping his phone closed.

TBC…….

AN: Whew, Jack's alive and well, or almost well. I wanted to throw in a face from Jack's past, one she'd be almost as happy to see as her vampire buddies. She's not a bad lady, just doesn't know when she's not wanted or needed. And yes she did steal her former social worker's identity, just because she's a smartass like that.


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: See previous chapters**

"May I ask who you are?" Madeleine asked the boys.

"Friends." Dean said shortly.

"I'll bet." She mumbled coming through the doorway. She took in the room quietly but with marked disapproval. Her eyes softened a bit when they settled on Jack sleeping on the hospital bed. Sam sat back down in his seat by Jack and regarded the woman with suspicious eyes.

"What happened? And don't tell me that deer hunter story you told the doctors." The woman said facing Dean.

"If you talked to the docs then you already know everything." Dean said smirking at her.

"I want to know what actually happened." She shot back.

"Fine, fine, I'll tell you." Dean sighed and ignored the look of surprise on Sam's face.

"We were down the street and she fell, landed on a bullet." Dean said cockily. Madeleine narrowed her eyes at the man standing between her and her would-be charge hospital bed.

"Great another one." Madeleine mumbled rubbing her forehead.

"You look tired maybe you should check into a hotel in town and we can talk tomorrow." Sam said softly trying his best to sound sympathetic. She didn't buy it for a second.

"I leave, Jack bolts. Probably with some help from the two of you." Madeleine said walking to the chair in the corner by the door and sitting down. She opened up the manila folder in her hands with a gesture of finality.

* * *

Jack awoke about an hour after falling asleep to the loudest silence she'd ever encountered. She opened her eyes and saw Sam sitting tensely in the chair beside her bed and Dean sitting on the window sill looking straight ahead at something out of her line of sight. The only sound in the room was the heart monitor. Why the hell was she still strapped to that thing anyway, she thought.

"Jack?" Sam asked quietly seeing her stir and blink around her in confusion.

"Jack!" A woman's voice came from she far side of the room. Jack groaned when she recognized the speaker.

"Son of a bitch." She mumbled.

"Its nice to see you too." Madeleine came to stand at the foot of her bed. She was just as Jack remembered her, brown hair pulled tightly back, pretty for a civil servant face scowling at Jack. Her immaculate blue suit was probably capped off in those sensible shoes the woman loved so much too, Jack thought. And she was holding the ever present file folder cataloguing Jack's misspent youth.

"Hey, Maddy how's it going?" Jack asked in a cheerful voice.

"Cut the shit." Madeleine said sourly.

"How the hell did you get here so fast?" Jack demanded frowning.

"Caught the Red eye when your name popped up on the grid. Where the hell have you been? Do you have any idea how much trouble your in?" Madeleine demanded tersely.

"You owe me fifty bucks." Jack told Dean, who hadn't moved from his post, but was watching the two women intently. He looked like he was close to strangling Madeleine, which meant she'd probably alternately drilled him and Sam about her condition and blamed them both too.

"Girl, I don't have fifty cents."

"I'll take your car then."

"My ass you will."

"I'll take your ass too then."

"Jack answer me." Madeleine insisted. Jack turned her attention back to the irate social worker

"No."

"Why?" Madeleine asked through gritted teeth.

"I don't wanna." Jack shrugged and winced in pain. She made a mental note not to do that again.

"Who are these men?" Madeleine asked indicating at Sam and Dean.

"He's my AA sponsor," Jack said pointing to Dean.

"And him?" Madeleine asked sarcastically.

"Lesbian life partner. Third floor does great work in the sex change department." Jack answered grinning as Sam choked on the water he was sipping on. Dean laughed loudly from his post. Madeleine looked like she was going to snap and hurt someone.

"We need to talk, Jack. Alone." She tacked on glaring at the three.

"Guys." Jack said nodding her head towards the door.

"You sure?" Dean asked not budging.

"Yeah, I think I can take her." Jack said winking at him. As the boys left Jack tapped out a tune on the guard rails of her bed. She was sure they'd be standing just outside the door waiting. She'd make sure to scream good and loud if Madeleine tried to hug her again.

"Jacqueline Annabelle Fontenot I can't believe you." Madeleine's scowl deepened.

"Don't triple name me. I left a note." Jack said biting the inside of her cheek.

"Oh yeah, how could I forget." Madeleine pulled out a piece of notebook paper from her folder.

"'It's been fun, gotta run though. Thanks, Jack.'" Madeleine read aloud putting her hands on her hips.

"I meant every word." Jack joked.

"No, no jokes, not now. You're in a hospital after someone tried to burn down your motel room and shot you." Madeleine said fiercely.

"How do you know it was meant for me?" Jack asked defiantly.

"Because these are the hospital files of girls that match your description from the past year alone." Madeleine said pulling a separate file from her shoulder bag. This one was blue and very thick.

"Baton Rouge, female giving the name Ashley Brown comes in with a fractured skull, disappears three days later. Lake Mary, Florida, female patient going by the name Sarah Moore is brought in with a broken shoulder and has a surgical pin put in, signs herself out in two days. Miami, female Jane Doe comes in with a stab wound to the stomach, disappears six hours later." Madeleine flipped though some of the E.R files she'd collected during her long, mostly off the books search for Jack

"That last one wasn't me." Jack pointed out.

"These are only a few and I know that at least half of them are you, Jack. What does this tell you?" Madeleine said slapping down the files on the bed.

"That I'm a people person." Jack said getting angry.

"If you don't stop you'll get hurt. You could die next time." Madeleine cried out in frustration.

"Well then thank God you were here to save my life!" Jack hissed sarcasm and disdain dripping from her voice.

"If you've got that much of damn death wish why don't you just finish the job yourself!" Madeline said angrily.

"Suicide is for people who have nothing to die for." Jack shot back bitterly.

"Stop it Jack. You can't keep on this way. I've turned a blind eye to a lot since I've known you but this has to stop." Madeleine told her.

"So why break with tradition. Go home. I don't need a caring shoulder to cry on Madeleine." Jack told her.

"You need help, Jack. You need a home. Your a child, you can't-"

"I'm fine, I don't need anyone to save me!" Jack yelled, sitting up ignoring her shoulder's protest.

"You were shot!" Madeleine said in astonishment.

"I'll survive." Jack told.

"Is that all you want? To just survive?" Madeleine demanded.

"More than some people get." Jack answered

"No its not." Madeleine said emphatically, allowing some pity to creep into her expression. Jack saw it and had to check her temper.

"I've know you since I was ten years old Maddy, you're a good person." Jack said after a few careful deep breaths. She spoke looking at her coverlet. She could almost feel Madeleine's surprise at the words.

"You're good at your job, you actually give a shit unlike a lot of other people in your line of work. But you need to be good at it elsewhere. I don't need your help."

"How can you say that?" Madeleine asked quietly.

"I've been dealt a few bad hands but I'll live. There are a lot of people who've had it a lot worse than me." Jack said setting her jaw firmly and looking at the other woman.

"Besides," Jack added smiling mischievously. "Your not here on official business."

"How the hell do you know?" Madeleine asked defensively. Her face had always been an open book, now she looked embarrassed and a little guilty.

"Because if you were, you'd have two or three burly cops with you and I'd be handcuffed to this bed right now." Jack answered.

"I'm betting you used some of your vacation time to come here and talk me back into foster care."

"I'm trying to protect you Jack." The older woman said looking away tapping her foot nervously.

"I'm not going with you." Jack said simply.

"Chris would not have wanted this for you." Madeleine said striking for what she knew was a low blow.

The silence in the room lasted and lasted till the door was opened hesitantly and Sam poked his head inside.

"Nobody's dead in here right?" he asked opening the door all the way and stepping inside.

"Not yet. But there might be if I don't get some food." Jack said waving him into the room..

Sam grinned and picked up the abandoned food trays from the table. He placed one on the bed tray for Jack and kept the other for himself.

"Hospital food." Jack said shaking her head and digging into what looked like an attempt at chicken.

"Where's Dean?" She asked him through a mouthful of food.

"Phone call." Sam said giving her a secret look that meant they were calling for reinforcements.

"Well that's one name down." Madeleine said settling into her old chair.

"This is Sam." Jack said negligently.

"Your manners are overwhelming." Madeleine said rolling her eyes.

"Aren't you kind going above and beyond the call of duty coming all the way out here?" Sam asked her.

"Everything with Jack is above and beyond the call of duty, but at least I didn't need to come up with bail money at three in morning this time." Madeleine answered.

"That was once five years ago." Jack said.

"I was a friend of the family as well as the other things." Madeleine explained to Sam.

"That's convenient." Dean said coming into the room flicking his phone form hand to hand.

"You know your really not supposed to use that in here." Jack told him finishing off her tray. She reached out quickly and grabbed the jello from Sam's tray.

"Hey!" He said.

"That's what you get for giving her my food." Dean snickered walking back to his window seat.

"So you what volunteered for the case or something?" Dean asked Madeleine.

"Something like that. Other workers wouldn't work with Jack and Chris anymore." Madeleine drawled.

"We weren't that bad." Jack said with a smile that said that they were.

"The grief counselor you saw when your grandmother died left the field. She said she'd never work with a child again." Madeleine said.

"Last I heard she took a job in an abortion clinic." Jack said thoughtfully.

"But you weren't that bad?" Madeleine asked raising an eyebrow at her. Jack shrugged. She finished Sam's jello and started eyeing the piece of bread he was holding.

"I'll call the nurse for more." Sam said handing the bread over to her with a martyred sigh.

"Fank you Smmammy." Jack said though of dinner roll. He picked up the bedside phone asked in his best boy scout voice for a tray of food for his darling baby sister. Madeleine gave Jack a questioning look.

"I've been adopted, and they say people only want the cute pudgy ones." Jack said.

"We asked for one of those they were all out." Sam said hanging up the phone.

"Food?" Jack asked.

"In a minute. Damn where the hell do you put all of it?" Sam asked. Dean was looking intently out the window when he suddenly started snickering softly.

"What?" Jack asked swallowing.

"You didn't break into the pharmacy while you were making that call did you?" Sam asked suspiciously. He wouldn't put it past his brother.

"No, I was just thinking." Dean said shooting a dirty look at Sam.

"You're right that is funny." Jack said.

"Smartass. I was thinking that Sammy's portrait skills technically make him a felon." Dean said grinning. Madeleine's eyes widened and her whipped around to look at Sam.

"Dean!" Sam sputtered his eyes darting to the woman glaring a hole in his head.

"What did you do?" Madeleine asked Jack accusingly.

"What? What makes you think its my fault?" Jack asked trying not laugh.

"Because I know you."

"Look at this," Jack said turning to Dean in bewilderment, " I'm being punished for his pervy subconscious."

"I didn't It wasn't…." Sam was turning beat red at the implications.

"Jack what did you do to this poor boy?" Madeleine asked sending Sam a sympathetic look.

"Don't you trust me?" Jack batted her eye lashes innocently.

"No."

"Why not?" Jack said offended.

"Recently?" Madeleine asked looking at her like she was stupid.

"If you can remember that far back." Jack said sweetly.

"Well, for starters the motel "I" was staying at caught fire late last night." Madeleine said crossing her arms over her chest.

"How unfortunate." Jack said fighting a smile.

"You stole my identity!" Madeleine said outraged.

"You weren't using it." Jack told her.

**TBC……………………**

**AN: Whew its been a few days. I realized the other day that I've been putting in almost a chapter a day since I started this little endeavor. I had a bit of block. Jack wasn't talking to me so clear for a few days. I hope this chapter came out okay in spite of that. Let me know what you think. As you know I live for reviews, they're almost better than cake. Almost but not quite.**


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer: I wish, then I wouldn't need to find a damn job to pay for my addictions, er I mean stuff.**

"Hurry up." Dean hissed as Jack quickly slipped into the hospital scrubs he'd handed her.

"I'm trying, quit nagging at me." Jack said from behind the bathroom door.

"I don't know how long dad can keep her busy." Dean said.

The plan was easy. When Madeleine had gone to use the bathroom Jack had quickly written down Maddy's cell phone number and told Sam to intercept John on his way in and have him call it pretending to be Mr. Baker, her boss in saving the world, one orphan at a time. Meanwhile Dean would grab a couple of pairs of scrubs and they'd walk right out the front door. The call had come ten minutes ago.

"You know that chick's not so bad." Dean said leaning against the door listening as Jack struggled into the disguise without hurting her arm.

"Nope, she just worries to much." Jack said opening the door too fast making Dean slip back.

"Stealthy." She said putting on her doctors mask.

"Shut up. Lets go." Dean said following suit with his own mask.

"Lead the way Spy Hard." Jack said pointing out the door.

"By the way that little girl's mother was asking about you earlier. They brought her to the same hospital." Dean told her as they walked out into the hallway leaving the door locked firmly behind them. They left a window open in the room to make it look like they'd pulled a Rapunzel escape on Madeleine.

"Lets hurry then. I don't want her to recognize me on accident." Jack said stepping up her pace.

"Why?" Dean asked catching up to her without looking suspicious to any of the actual staff. The last thing they needed was to be tagged as a couple of extra pairs of hands in some surgery there.

"Because then she'd going to get all grateful and happy and I don't wanna get any on me." Jack quipped. They passed the nurses station and made it past without attracting any unwanted attention. Two more feet an they'd be at the elevators.

Dean pressed the button three times in a row before the doors opened with a high pitched 'ding'. And Jack nearly kicked him for no other reason than that he was there to take her frustration out on. Standing in the elevator was none other than grateful mommy herself with a hospital gown clothed daughter in tow. Jack kept her head down as they stepped into the elevator, she was hoping they would get off right there, considering that was where her room was, but they didn't. The mother smiled pleasantly at the two 'Doctors' and Jack was infinitely grateful Dean had remembered the caps to go along with their scrubs. Somehow she doubted the lady would have been able to look past the distinctive hair color of her baby's savior with out noticing.

Jack watched as the numbers went slowly down to the ground floor. She chanced a look at the little girl and locked eyes with her. Recognition bloomed in the girl's eyes and her mouth dropped open. Jack hastily put her finger to her masked lips and silently begged the little girl not to alert her mother. The girl bit her lip and looked at her mother then back at Jack. She smiled and made locking motion with her fingers on her lips and threw away the 'key'. Jack smiled through her mask and gave the little girl a silent thumbs up. The hospital doors opened and the mother and daughter walked out ahead of Jack and Dean. At the last second the little girl turned back around and waved at Jack.

"You big softy." Dean teased as they left the elevator.

"Bite me." Jack said back. The made their way to the automatic door, almost home free.

"But sir I submitted my request with Human resources. Ask Jaime, she's the one I handed them to." Madeleine was saying into the cell phone. She had her back to the doors and sounded distressed. Jack had a split second to feel sorry for her before she and Dean rounded the corner of the building to meet up with John and Sam.

* * *

"Dean as a doctor, now that's a frightening thought." Sam said as they spotted the twosome.

"Umhm." Missouri agreed as the two undercover idiots approached.

"John." Missouri hissed at the elder Winchester. He was having a little too much fun pretending to ream out that poor woman on the other end of the line.

"What?" He asked covering the mouthpiece. Missouri pointed to Jack and Dean. And damn it if he didn't look disappointed that playtime was over. That man needed a hobby.

"I'll see you back here in my office first thing tomorrow morning." He said sternly into the mouthpiece before he killed the line.

"Lets jet." Jack said when they made it across the parking lot to where the pickup and the Impala were waiting.

"Come here first child." Missouri said concern lacing her tone. Jack looked at Dean questioningly, but he just shrugged. Jack walked up to the older woman and was smacked hard upside the head.

"Ow! I was just shot! What the hell did you do that for!" Jack demanded pulling off her mask.

"That's for worrying that poor woman the way you are. And all she did was care about you." Missouri scolded her. She turned and got into the driver's side of John's truck.

"Didn't have to hit me." Jack grumbled rubbing her sore head.

"It means she likes you." Sam said opening the car door for Jack.

"Couldn't she just say it?" Jack asked.

"Dad why are you getting in?" Dean asked his father as John walked around to the driver's side of the Impala.

"Missouri's driving my car back. Leaving you three alone always ends in drinking or fighting." John said giving them a sour look and stepping into the front seat.

"Shotgun." Sam said before Dean could.

"Its my car!" Dean protested.

"Dean get in the car before they notice us kidnapping a minor." John ordered.

"Yes sir." Dean said after a beat punching Sam in the shoulder as he ducked into the backseat to sit next to Jack. John started the car as soon Sam sat down barely giving him a chance to close the door. They beat a hasty retreat trying to put as much distance between them and the hospital as possible.  
"Gimme that." Dean told Sam indicating to Jack's backpack, which she'd handed Sam before sending him out minutes before.

"Why?" Jack asked eyeing him as he grabbed greedily for her backpack.

"Treats." Dean answered smiling. He opened the main compartment and pulled out two large bottles of pills.

"You said you didn't steal from the pharmacy!" Sam exclaimed gaping at the prescription pain killers.

"No I said that's not why I was laughing, Felony." Dean said popping open a bottle of Vicoden and shaking out two pills.

"What are you doing?" John asked in shock as they watched Dean.

"Relax, I didn't steal these to get high. Their for when we get hurt hunting." Dean said holing the pills out for Jack.

"Take em." He ordered her as she took the pills from his hand.

"How did you even-You know what I don't want to know." Sam said shaking his head in defeat. Dean popped a pill into his own mouth.

"Dean!" John said.

"What? Sammy's hating gave me a headache." Dean said holding his hands up innocently. He replaced the cap and put the two bottles back in the bag.

"Got any water?" Jack asked rattling the pills in her palm like they were dice.

"Here." Sam said handing her Coke he'd gotten from the machine back at the hospital.

* * *

Once they were back at the house the clothes issue came up again. Everything Jack owned was incinerated at the motel. All she had at Missouri's was the jacket and jeans she was wearing when she met them. The sweater was demolished, another casualty in the war on darkness. She had to make due with one of Dean's t-shirts and was given a warning that if she walked even a foot out her bedroom door without those jeans on she'd be begging for a hospital room to hide in.

There wasn't far to walk. It was late when they got back and after dinner all there was left to do was go to bed. Jack waited until after midnight to write the note.

_'Guys,_

_Thanks for everything, but I think you know now why I can't stay here. Or anywhere actually. Everyone who gets too close dies. I can't let that happen again. This fight will never stop for me. I'll miss you guys. If you ever need me call me. Just don't ask to help me._

_Jack._

She wrote her phone number on the bottom of the page. She tried to ignore the hollow feeling she felt as she pulled on her jacket and left the note on the pillow with one of the medication bottles Dean stole next to it. She'd already decided and nothing could stop her from leaving. She wouldn't stop in Birmingham either, in case she'd mentioned it to them at the bar as where she went for some down time every once in awhile.

'You've only known them a few days. It doesn't mean anything. You'll get over it.' She thought to herself as she sneaked carefully through the sleeping house. She almost convinced herself of it by the time she got the back door. Then her hand hesitated on the doorknob and her façade crumbled. For the first time in a long time she'd felt like she belonged somewhere, not the house itself necessarily, but with them. They understood the way she lived and thought. People she didn't have to lie to about what a mess her life was.

'And you'll repay them by endangering their lives.' A cruel voice inside her said. She shook her head and opened the door silently, crossing over the line of salt into the cold, unforgiving night.

Jack walked stiffly to where her bike was still parked and brought up the kick stand. She fastened her helmet then struggled with her hurt shoulder to walk the bike a safe distance away from the house before swinging her legs over the side and starting the engine. She had no doubt that they would know she was gone long before morning so she broke all manner of speed limits to get a head start on them.

The darkness she'd grown to hate whizzed past her as she left the city limits and came to a heavily wooded stretch that would carry her out of Kansas.

Only the sound of her engine could be heard for miles, it lulled her into a distracted state she was so fucking grateful for she could cry. It was just her and the road again. Just another night like most of the others she'd experienced in the past two years alone.

So distracted was she that she didn't notice the near invisible shadow come at her from the trees. Not until something slammed into the front wheel of her bike, but by then it was too late. As her bike flipped and she flew forward.

'This is going to hurt.' She only had a moment to brace herself before slamming head first into the pavement. A blinding light and everything went dark. The smell of smoke followed her into the black.

* * *

"No!" Sam shot up in his bed bathed in sweat, his heart racing. He tumbled out of his bed and ran to the door, fumbling with the knob before throwing it open. He ran across the hall to Jack's room and burst through the door. His eyes confirmed what his mind already knew. She was gone and if he didn't hurry to where ever she was she was going to die.

"Sam! What happened!" Dean said running after him into the room. He saw the empty made bed and the note lying on the pillow next to a pill bottle. He read it and swore up and down.

"She's hurt. We have to find her." Sam said running back to their room. He pulled his clothes on quickly and grabbed the keys to Dean's car.

"What did you see?" Dean asked as they ran down the stairs and out the front door. Neither boy acknowledged John or Missouri calling after them as they tramped through the house in the middle of the night.

"It was like my dream only I could really see it this time. They've got her surrounded and she's hurt bad." Sam said heatedly. He opened the trunk and pulled out Dean's crossbow tossing it to him before grabbing damn near every gun they owned.

"Easy Sammy." Dean replacing the selections and keeping the more practical weapons.

"Get in." Sam said jerking open the driver's side door. Dean bit his lip and slammed the trunk closed following Sam's order. He didn't argue with Sam driving because Sam was the only who knew where they might find their friend.

* * *

Jack came to minutes later. She felt fire and opened her eyes painfully to see her beloved motorcycle burning thirty yards from where she was lying on the ground. She tried to lift her head to see more but it hurt to much to manage. She was lying on her stomach in the middle if the road. Her helmet cracked and in splinters of glass and plastic on the pavement around her. She tried to move her legs and panicked when she couldn't feel her right leg.

She summoned all her strength to lift her self up on her arms. A scream of pain tore from her lips. It took her a dizzying second to look down at her left arm that she'd rolled on after connecting with the pavement and realize that the sleeve of her jacket was gone and the black was blood and tar from the road. She dragged herself in agony closer to the fire. Shapes moved everywhere, whispers filled the air. They were toying with her and she wouldn't have the strength when they chose to come and finish her off. She couldn't go any further then, not with her leg was dragging behind her the way it was. Jack used her right arm to feel the back of her head and brought it back to try to focus with her fading vision. Her hand was covered with blood from her head. It was a miracle she wasn't dead yet, a miracle or a torturous nightmare.

Jack found the energy to sit up with her 'good' leg in front of her. She had to drag her other leg in front of her, choking on a sob as she saw the ruin of her leg. The denim was soaked in blood and torn to pieces with strips sticking to the bone sticking out of the front of her calve. Jack's mouth was filled with blood and bile, she'd never felt so alone. She wanted to die but some self-preservation instinct made her react when they finally came out the shadows to gather around her beaten form. Five of them in all, more than enough to destroy one broken girl. Still a ring of fire burst up around her, protecting her from the darkness and everything that lived in it. Jack forced her arms around her legs to try and hold herself together as she waited for her fire to give out as her strength did, waiting to finally die.

She laid her head in her arms and allowed herself for the first time since she was a child, to cry.

**TBC……**

**AN: I hope I managed to make this as dramatic as the scenes played out in my head. I always worry over if I capture angst and drama right in a story. Tell me what you think. I had to listen to the saddest music to get in the mood for this part.**


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer: Why am I still writing these things. I think you guys already get the picture. I don't own Supernatural. Maybe its just to up my word count.**

Sam had a white knuckle grip on the steering as he sped along the road. His jaw was clenched so tight his teeth hurt and rattled on every bump in the road. He was looking forward without really seeing anything out the window. He knew he was going in the right direction but he felt like he couldn't get there fast enough. The images in his head kept flashing in front of him like they were playing out on the glass of the windshield. The burning twisted metal that was her bike, the shadows, once indistinct, were now the snarling forms of enemies too ruthless to let the slight to their kind go. Her huddled in a circle of fire, power dwindling by the second, barely alive.

The worst was the feeling of hopelessness that grew the closer he got. He felt the despair engulfing Jack like a cancer. It was like nothing he'd ever felt and never would have suspected it under the swaggering veneer she projected.

Dean was watching his brother worriedly out of the corner of his eye buthe didn't say anything. The phone rang, killing the crushing silence that permeated the car. Dean exhaled gratefully and snapped open his phone without looking at the caller I.D..

"Dean, what the hell is going on?" John demanded.

"Jack bolted and Sam had a vision that she was hurt again." Dean explained. The car was illuminated by headlights from behind and Dean realized their father was just catching up to them in his truck.

"How bad is it?" John asked. Dean looked over at his brother still looking straight , the speedometer climbing.

"Bad." Dean said. Something in his voice must have signaled to John that now was not the time because he simply grunted a quick okay and hung up.

"We're getting close." Sam said without looking at Dean.

They were in middle of nowhere practically, the boonies that stretched between towns and there were no other cars on the road at that time of night. Dean's throat clenched at the thought of having to die on a desolate highway like that. It won't happen, he thought, we won't let it happen.

Up ahead they caught the dim glow of a light that quickly revealed itself to be a blazing fire in the middle of the street. Sam veered off the road and killed the ignition. He jumped out of the car with Dean following close behind. All their hunter instincts made their swift approach silent. John came up from behind and pulled ahead of his son's, forever in the lead. The smell of burning tire and metal was sickening. The sight they came upon was even worse.

It was Sam's nightmare in vivid detail. Jack's motorcycle was flipped upside down and burning in the road. Tangled moving bodies danced around the fire, their shadows twisting grotesquely as they moved back and forth trying to get close to their prize but being pushed back every time. Sam barely saw her through the tight circle of flames. She was so pale she looked dead, her leg was twisted at an odd angle and there was so much….fucking blood. It was everywhere. The vampires were sniffing at it in the air like animals.

He reached for his sawed off, which Dean had taken care to load with real shells and aimed at the female leader of the bloodthirsty pack. She turned her head just as he pulled the trigger. The others were on them in a second. Sam reloaded and fired off another shot and another as they got up after falling. He finally caught one in the skull killing it and he felt a disturbing satisfaction as he watched the body twitch on the pavement. The moment was short lived as he was attacked from the back by a snarling female.

"Sammy!" Dean called before firing at his brother's attacker. His mouth was set in a grim line as he helped Sam to his feet. The two men took quick stock of each other to make sure the other was okay before turning back to the three left.

"Why isn't she getting back up?" Sam asked as the woman convulsed on the ground.

"Last of the arrows from the first time we fought these bastards." Dean said tossing the crossbow to the ground. Sam understood, these arrows were laced with the blood of a dead man, poison to vampires.

"Come on Dad needs our help." Dean said pulling his .45 and a hunting knife. Kate and the last two vampires were circling their father. He got off a shot as one snatched at his arm tearing out a chunk of flesh with her nails. Still the man barely blinked. Kate snarled in hate and lunged at Dean knocking him to the ground.

"Dean!" Sam's eyes darted from his brother to his father, not sure which one to help.

"Help dad." Dean commanded. Sam nodded and pulled out his throwing knives. He buried one in a tree, the man he was aiming for ducking at the last second. He ran forward and wrenched it free using the tells from his nightmare to move before his head was bashed into the bark by the vampire.

"What's she to you?" Kate snarled in Dean's face. She had him pinned down so he couldn't move.

"A friend." He hissed trying to get some kind of physical leverage to gether off of him.

"Risking your life like this, your an idiot." She scorned.

"And your breath stinks bitch!" He snapped back.

Dean slammed his head up head butting her and her grip loosened enough for him to raise his gun and shoot. She fell back but he kept shooting. Until his clip ran out and she was writhing on the pavement, her head and body a gored mess. He stood over her and slammed his foot into her chest when she tried to rise. Dean looked towards his family and saw them breathing hard sitting back to back, their vampires dead in a heap a foot from them. Dean looked back down at Kate's pathetic form.

"I should have killed you the first time." He said a chilling voice before bring his knife down into her chest and slashing sideways, dragging her heart out of place. He wanted it to hurt before he beheaded her.

The sudden absence of light brought him back to reality. He snapped around to see the dieing embers of Jack's fire. Her body was slack now, lifeless.

"Dad, Sammy get the car!" He yelled as he ran to her. Dean gathered her in his arms as carefully as he could, careful for her head. He was instantly coated in her blood, her hair and clothes were covered in it, only deathly pale skin showing through, he swallowed a mouthful of bile when he felt a disturbing softness in the back of her head where hard bone should have been. Sam screeched to a halt in front of him.

His father helped him place her carefully inside with her head resting facedown in Dean's lap. John jumped into the front seat and Sam gunned it.

"Fuck, hold on, just hold on Jackie girl." Dean said over and over checking her faint pulse. He could barely feel the flutter of it against his hand. She was fading fast.

John ordered Sam to run into the E.R. ahead of them. Sam for once listened without arguing and was back seconds later trailed by half the damn emergency staff and a stretcher. Dean gave her over to the professionals with a slight hesitation. She looked so fragile, he was afraid he'd break her.

The men tried to answer the questions of what happened to her without losing their tempers. A motorcycle accident, she always did go too fast, no of course she wasn't drunk. Dean nearly decked a young doctor who mentioned callously that this was why they called them "donor-cycles" in the E.R. He didn't even care that she was a woman and half his size. Sam and John made a human wall between him and the tactless woman. She took one look at the cold glare Sam threw at her and rushed off with the others trying to save Jack's life.

It was seconds, only seconds between them entering the hospital and Jack being rushed into surgery but it felt like too long. It was only minutes since they'd destroyed probably the last vampires in existence but it was already forgotten.

"Will she be okay?" Sam asked quietly as they sat in the waiting room. None of them made a move to clean themselves up and any offers of assistance were met with a cold glare or a barely suppressed snarl from whoever happened to be closest to the unfortunate asker.

"I don't know son." John answered wishing her could reassure his sons. Dean was staring silently ahead, it was eerie. It reminded John of his muteness after his mother died and in the first few weeks at Missouri's. When Dean got upset he internalized, he knew and he never really knew what to do when this happened. His usual instinct was to put a gun in his hands and point him at something bad, but they'd already done that. The calm after the storm was worse than the battle itself. So they sat in silence and waited.

"Excuse me sirs, " A doctor approached them hours later. Sam sucked in his breath and looked at Dean and John, too scared to ask.

"How is she?" John asked stepping up to the doctor.

TBC…..


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer: Blah Blah Blah, Don't own Blah Blah Supernatural**

Doctor Who-The-Fuck-Cares was saying words like massive internal bleeding, more surgeries on the leg and severe cranial damage. The words possible brain damage fell on deaf, unaccepting ears.

"We put a steel plate in her head where bits of skull were missing, any longer exposure and she'd probably be brain dead right now." He told them. This was met with silence.

"She's out of surgery right now, but its a waiting game." He said looking suitably regretful for their situation.

"You just said she needed more surgery for her leg." John said somberly.

"We'd prefer to put off doing more until we see if she makes it through the next couple of days." The doctor said. Just then another doctor walked through the waiting room doors in bloody scrubs. A familiar face to them.

"If you accuse us of anything now, I can't guarantee my son's won't kill you." John told Dr. Wilson tiredly.

"I'm sorry about that." He said taking off his surgical mask. "I spoke to her aunt a few hours ago, she told me about your car accident. I just wanted to tell you I'm sorry and good luck." With a sad look he turned to go.

"When can we see her?" Sam asked.

"I'll send a nurse as she's settled in the ICU. You should know the chances aren't good with this kind damage. You should start making arrangements." He told them. John gave him a curt nod more of a dismissal then anything else.

"Her aunt?" Sam asked.

"It wasn't Missouri, must've been that Keith woman. The social worker." John said sitting back down between his boys.

"We should call her." Dean said.

"What to thank her? And when she calls the cops on us for sneaking her out of the hospital?" John asked incredulously.

"She won't." Dean said.

"How do you know?" John asked.

"Because she cares about Jack. If she was going to do anything like that we'd have been flagged the moment we walked in here." Dean said.

"I don't know if-"

"I do." Dean interrupted, surprising John and Sam. John glanced at Sam who shrugged and nodded.

"I think if she might not make it, her friends have a right to say goodbye." Sam whispered.

"Yeah," John rubbed the stubble running across his jaw line. "Yeah call her then."

* * *

It hurt everywhere. The pain blinding under her skin and in her head. Where was she, why couldn't she see. It was like being trapped in nothing. Nothing penetrated the pain except an incessant beeping sound. And it was starting to slow.

* * *

A sharp slap across the face was how Sam was greeted at the door to the waiting room by Madeleine. 

"The only reason I'm not calling the cops right now is because she wouldn't want me to." She said in a thick voice. Tears were barely held back in her eyes. Sam just nodded and moved out of her way so she could walk through.

Madeleine glared at Dean as she crossed to the other side of the waiting room to take a seat as far away from the Winchester men as she could get. Her hair was pulled back in a messy ponytail and she was still wearing a nightshirt with a hastily pulled on pair of jeans. Her foot tapped anxiously on the tiled floor. The woman looked like she was barely holding it together. It said a lot about a woman who probably saw some of the worst humanity had to offer its children in her day to day life, that she looked so thoroughly terrified at what was happening.

Sam took his seat again and waited. Dean was humming a song under his breath holding the arms of his chair tight. These were the only subtle indications that he was nervous. Sam smiled to himself remembering what Dean said once about music calming him down. John was talking covertly into his cell phone, the nurse at the desk glared at him and even got up, but another nurse pulled her aside and whispered in her ear looking sympathetically in their general direction. The first nodded after a moment and went back to her seat, sending Sam a pitying look.

"She loves that song." Madeleine said quietly taking a seat facing them against the wall. Still enough space between them but close enough to speak if they were inclined. He was not.

"What song?" Sam asked wishing she'd leave him be.

"The one your brother is humming." She answered nodding to Dean. Dean stopped humming and looked at her.

"What song was it?" Sam asked, not quite placing the tune he'd heard.

"Laugh I Nearly Died." She answered. Sam snorted at the sheer inappropriateness of Dean's choice in music. Hearing the name brought the same realization to Dean.

"Good ear." Dean said shortly and started humming something else shutting them out again.

"Seven years, give or take, of looking in on a couple of music addicts rubs off." She said and they fell back into the tense silence.

There was a ruckus behind the hospital doors and the nurse rose from her chair, casting a look in their direction before rushing through the double doors. Sam straightened in his chair and cast a worried glance at his brother. Dean nodded and rose crossing the waiting room to look through the small glass panel on the double door. He knocked on it erratically till someone finally came out.

"What's happening?" He demanded of orderly who emerged.

"Please sir if you'll just sit down." He said trying nudge Dean out of the way so he could close the door. Dean lodged his foot in the door jamb and gave the orderly a withering look.

"What's happening?" He said coldly.

"Your sister coded. Their working on her right now, I'm sorry." He said biting his lip, looking anywhere but at the intimating man in front of him. No doubt thanking his lucky stars he wasn't a doctor and wouldn't have to deliver regular news to these people about the girl's condition.

Dean pulled away from the door so fast that the orderly nearly fell through the door way. He took his seat without bothering to relay the message. John hung up the phone and leaned close to whisper in Sam's ear.

"Missouri's reading the cards." John told him. Sam nodded in understanding, fuck modern medicine, when in doubt consult your friendly neighborhood telepath. John gave Dean the same message.

* * *

The beeping stopped and turned into one long line of sound. She wanted to shut her ears against it but had lost all concept of moving her hands. A painful jolt shot through her and her sightless eyes lit up. A crack of white and then the all encompassing dark again. Another and another then she faded deeper down.

* * *

"You're like her aren't you?" Madeleine asked Sam quietly. His internal alarms went off. 

"What do you mean?" He asked looking confused.

"I-I don't know. I don't know what I mean." She rubbed her eyes and swallowed deeply.

"I-I know Jack's…different. I can't explain how, and I never listened to stupid rumors back home, but I've seen things…" She trailed off shaking her head.

"Rumors?" Sam asked.

"You know, it's the deep south, superstition's big back home. There were rumors, from the family's neighbors and such. I never paid much attention till I spent some real time with Chris and Jack." Madeleine said.

"What did people say?" Sam asked moving to take a seat next to her. She looked a little disconcerted by his nearness but kept talking in the low whispers so the few people in the waiting room besides them wouldn't hear them.

"That they were cursed, touched by evil." Madeleine said rolling her eyes at herself for even speaking the words.

"Why would they say that?" Sam asked.

"The fire, the deaths in the family and Christopher taking little Jack and high tailing it out of New Orleans didn't help the matter."

"That bad?" Sam asked, wondering at how their lives paralleled.

"There was a saying around where her grandmother, Amara, lived, 'The Fontenot family, touched by charm and tragedy, equal measures.' Foolish people. But when almost an entire family is wiped out in only a handful of years, it gets the mind working." Madeleine said looking gravely ahead.

"Yeah." Sam agreed.

"And fire just seems to follow that girl. First her parents then that thing when she was a child, now this." She continued almost to herself.

"What happened when she was a child?" Sam asked.

"Its nothing." Madeleine caught herself before saying anything more to him about the incident.

"What makes you think I'm like Jack?" Sam asked her changing the subject.

"You have that same look, like you see more than the rest of us." Madeleine said quietly. "Chris looked that way too."

Sam was silent for a long moment and when he opened his mouth to speak she beat him to the punch.

"What's she running from, what's doing this to her?" Madeleine asked with a note of desperation in her voice.

"Ask her yourself when she wakes up." Dean answered from his seat. He was playing with the pendant he always wore around his neck, reclining across two chairs, the image of nonchalance.

"Amara Fontenot was her grandmother's name?" John asked suddenly.

"Yes. Why?" Madeleine asked.

"No reason." John answered.

A nurse came out then and approached the foursome. She had a carefully blank expression as she spoke.

"We got her stable again and she'd been put on a ventilator. Looks like she's a fighter after all." She added giving them a sad smile.

"Damn straight." Dean said allowing a fleeting smile.

"You can go sit with her now. Talk to her, it helps." The nurse told them gently and led them back to through the doors to Jack's room.

"Are you all family?" She asked as they followed.

"Yes Ma'am." John answered giving his most pathetic look to her, using pity to make up for none of them looking like Jack. It worked, the nurse bit her lower lip and gestured for them to follow her into the room.

Machines beeped and whirred keeping Jack alive, an oxygen mask covered her pale face, bags of medicine and blood were being pumped into the broken body. Jack's arms were bandaged with heavy gauze and her leg had a light splint on it, keeping it together till they were sure operating wouldn't be a wasted effort. No use walking at your own funeral, Dean thought scornfully.

"I'll leave you alone now." The nurse said quietly after checking the readouts on the machines. All anyone could was stare awkwardly after she left them alone, strangers with one person in common.

"I need a moment alone with Jacqueline." Madeleine said facing them. Her expression told them she wasn't asking.

"Alright we'll be right outside." John said hustling his sons out of the room.

Dean leaned against the far wall watching the door. Sam and John stood side by side next to her door. A beat of silence and Sam slid down the wall to sit on the floor.

"They're gonna want to look at us sooner or later, we're all kinds fucked up here." He said trying to break the silence.

"Maybe later." John said patting the hasty bandage job on his hurt arm. He'd faired worse before.

* * *

Madeleine walked tentatively closer to the hospital bed. She couldn't shake the image of Jack as a young girl, sarcastic, arrogant as all get out and a shameless flirt. And that was at eleven. She laughed a little to herself at the short memories of knowing the two survivors of the family. 

"I never knew quite what to make of you." She told Jack. She reached out and touched a hand that was too cold. It didn't look like her lying in the bed. An immobile Jack was frightening to Madeleine. Jack's life lay in her eyes, the way they lit up when she slang a taunting answer in someone's direction. In her smile and that restlessness that defined her character.

"You and your damned Uncle, two peas in a pod." Madeleine said laughing despite the tears trying to escape her eyes. She blinked once and they left a wet trail down her cheeks.

That man was hopeless, he never took anything seriously, except his little niece. The two moved constantly, meeting once a month for awhile in Baton Rouge with her. As far as she knew the only times they ventured back into their hometown after Momma Fonty died was on the anniversaries of the family deaths. Chris would flirt with her and hedge her questions about how he was making a living. The ever unanswered question of why they never stayed anywhere for more than a few weeks hung over every conversation. She gave up asking after awhile, she never got a serious answer out of either of them.

"Please hold on, Jack." Madeleine pleaded with Jack squeezing her hand as much as she dared with all the damage and needles in her.

"Those guys seem to really care about you, you know. And I think Dean may just kill whoever has to deliver the news if you die. And he's way to pretty for jail, so you have to wake up." Madeleine said thinking of something Jack might see as a reason to pull through.

Madeleine let go of her hand, stepped back and took a deep breath. She wiped the tears from her cheeks then opened the hospital room door. They were standing still as statues, these people who seemed to care so much about her young friend, she wondered what they were to her, how she came to know them. Knowing Jack it could be anything, she attracted oddities.

"I-" Madeleine started then stopped not knowing what to say.

* * *

"Okay." Dean told her pushing off the wall walking past her into the room. She followed them back in and stayed when they didn't ask her to leave. 

This room was private, probably because of all the machines taking up space. There were two chairs, Dean took one, John gestured towards the other for Madeleine. Chivalry isn't dead, she thought sitting down. Sam sat on the floor by his brother's leg. John stood against the door, standing guard.

Guarded, she thought watching them, like her wayward charge. Chris was like that too in his own way. Against what though, she had no clue. She was out of her depth here.

Silence prevailed for hours. No one spoke save the nurses and doctors checking frequently on their patient. Missouri came and had a whispered conversation with John. It was unclear she told him. She checked and rechecked but couldn't get an accurate reading. She sat by Jack's bedside alone for a few minutes and come out shaking her head.

"I'll try again later but the thoughts are too fractured right now." She explained to him.

"But there are thoughts." John stated.

"Yes but…" Missouri trailed off at a loss for words for once.

"Thanks." John said.

"Lets get a cup of coffee, John, you look exhausted." Missouri said. He nodded and followed her through the hall s to the cafeteria. John saw sunlight filtering through the windows and realized for the first time that it was daylight outside. People gawked as he passed by, still wearing the same clothes from the night before.

"You just lazy or are you trying to scare the staff?" Missouri asked as they filled Styrofoam cups with coffee.

"Can't I do both?" John asked. She gave him a weak smile and directed them to a small table far from everyone else.

"The boys okay?" Missouri asked as soon as they sat down.

"They're strong, they'll be alright." John said.

"I didn't ask how they would be I asked how they are." Missouri told him. He let out a deep sigh and drank deeply from his cup. The bitter liquid burned his throat.

"They got attached." He said putting down his cup.

"People do that occasionally." Missouri said slowly like he was an idiot. He glared at her and she returned the dirty look.

"Someone they don't have to lie to about everything. Someone like them, who could understand the way they were brought up." Missouri said.

"She was raised to run before trouble hit." John argued. He'd pieced that much together from what they already knew about her.

"Just because he didn't mount a crusade doesn't discount that her uncle taught her to fight and use her gifts." Missouri lectured. John thought about that then grudgingly nodded.

"What time is it?" John asked, wanting to change the subject.

"Nearly noon." Missouri said with amusement when he yawned deeply.

"Shit I'm getting old." John said finishing off his coffee in one gulp.

"I could've told you that." Missouri told him.

"Go to hell." He replied taking her coffee and finishing it for himself.

Madeleine gave John a withering look when he returned to the room.

"Hey boss." She said. His son's snickered quietly and one of them whispered 'busted' under his breath. So much solidarity.

"Just don't ask for a raise." John said rolling his eyes. He was on his third cup of coffee by then, silently reminding his tired body that it had gone for days without sleep on a hunt before.

"Any change?" He asked knowing the answer already.

"Nope." Dean said.

"Maybe someone should get some clothes or something from the house." Sam suggested. He was scraping dried blood off his hands wishing for a bath.

"I'll go, see if you guys can wrangle a shower while you wait here, I could smell you from down the hall." John said ruffling his youngest's hair.

"Glad someone said it." Madeleine mumbled.

"You said it a few minutes before he did." Dean told her.

"Well majority rules then." She said dryly.

An hour later they were all in fresh gear. The nurses were more than happy to give them use of the staff showers. And after an embarrassing twenty minutes in backless hospital gowns John arrived with their clothes. The day passed slowly with little talk and no change in Jack's condition.

"She's stable which is good for now but still in critical condition." The doctor said when he checked in that night. Trays of untouched food covered the limited table space.

"You know its a bit crowded in here maybe-"

"Unless this sentence ends in you offering a bigger room don't bother finishing it." Sam told the doctor.

Two days passed, they operated more thoroughly on Jacks leg, putting screws in her knee to reconnect it to the severe break. They said if she woke up they were confident she'd be able to walk again. The "if" was part of every conversation.

The men had to leave on the fourth day of their vigil to get some semblance of rest. John insisted on it. Even Madeleine gave up her fight against exhaustion and retreated to her hotel after giving Dean her the phone number for her hotel room and telling him to call her immediately if any news came in.

They fell into their beds sleeping deeply through the day. After eating dinner with Missouri and John the boys made their way back to the hospital refreshed.

When they came to the I.C.U. they were waylaid by Jack's doctor. They braced themselves for the worst.

"She's slipped into a coma, I'm sorry." He told them, sympathetically.

"Is she in pain?" Sam asked.

"No." He assured him.

"What's the difference between the way she was before and what she's in now?" Dean asked.

"She was responsive to pain before." The doctor explained.

"So what now?" Dean asked.

"We've done all we can, from our tests she seemed to be doing alright, stable. But she's fading now, I can't explain why." The doctor said looking perplexed.

"What like she's giving up or something?" Dean demanded.

"I don't know sir, really I don't. You have my deepest sympathies. We'll do everything that we can to help, should you choose to take her off life support." The doctor told them. Sam's head snapped up fast in disbelief.

"What the hell is it with this hospital? I thought you people were supposed to save lives." Dean snapped.

"We're not making that kind of decision any time soon Doctor." Sam said pulling his brother away from the doctor. He kept his arm around Dean's shoulder till they were down the hall and in Jack's room.

"Why would she do that?" Dean asked.

"Its not like she has a choice, its not that simple Dean." Sam tried to explain. But Dean was having none of that.

"It is, she's tougher than this. She shouldn't giving up." Dean said shrugging Sam off him.

"Maybe it hurts too much." Sam said quietly looking at Jack. Dean didn't answer he just took his usual seat and stared at the ceiling.

"I wonder what she's thinking, if she is at all." Sam said sitting down.

"I don't know but if she dies after all his shit I swear I'll kick her ghostly ass all over the place." Dean said making Sam snort with laughter.

**TBC………**

**AN: A nice long chapter hot of the presses. Hopefully it makes up for me putting Jack in this horrible state. The next chapter is going to be underway immediately.**


	18. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer: No if I owned Supernatural Dean would always wear eyeliner and Sam would wear a dog collar. But that's a whole other story (literally) ;)**

**AN: Character death in this chapter.**

Soft singing and the smell of pancakes cooking woke Jack from her slumber. She smiled to herself and sang along to that familiar song. She shot up from her comfy bed and walked out of the bedroom. Chris was standing in the kitchenette in his sweats, flipping pancakes out of the pan singing louder with each bit of food. He turned when she pulled out a chair at the little kitchen table and grinned at her.

"Mornin Sparks." He said cheerfully.

"Food?" Jack asked hopefully. She eyed the plate of pancakes eagerly.

"Patience is a virtue Ma Petite Enflamme." He laughed.

"Since when do we have virtues?" Jack asked.

"Momma Fonty called while you were sleepin." Chris told her. Jack looked up suddenly.

"What?" She asked puzzled. That wasn't right Momma Fonty died when she was six years old.

"She means well. But she went on about me raisin you right and such. Says the roads no place for a little girl." Chris grinned at her and started forking pancakes onto a bright blue dish. The color was familiar, it was the same plate she threw against a wall when she was seven and didn't want to leave after their yearly visit to the family plot.

"You raised me just fine." Jack said because that's how the conversation went the first time they had it.

Everywhere there were little tells, things she should have noticed at first. Chris was wearing the necklace she bought him in Chicago for Christmas when she was twelve. A child size pair of blue rain boots were drying in the corner, they hadn't fit in years. The wall color shifted to the colors of a hundred motel's and apartments. But she stayed the same. Jack looked at her uncle, the only family she had. He was singing loudly again, her favorite part of the song, his reddish gold hair was mussed from sleep.

"I love you." She said.

"What's that Baby Girl?" He said turning to her. He placed a plate of food in front of her and cocked his head to the side.

"Nothin, what are we doin today?" Jack asked.

"Whatever you want sugah." Chris said pouring the syrup in a little bowl beside her plate, they way she liked it.

"Can we stay in today? Just you and me?" Jack asked hopefully.

"Course. But when did you become a homebody?" Chris asked joining her at the table.

"I'm just tired." Jack said.

"S'okay. I promise we'll take it easy for a bit." Chris putting a hand on her shoulder shaking her lightly.

"Easy." Jack repeated. She nodded and picked up her fork digging into the food. It was the sweetest thing she ever tasted. She didn't care that this wasn't real, that it was a combination of her memories. It didn't hurt anymore.

* * *

"Your taking this hard, Dean." Sam stated as they watched the t.v. in Jack's room without really watching it. Dean shrugged and turned up the volume. Sam kept pushing.

"I thought I would take this worse because of the dreams but-" Sam started.

"I don't want to talk about it Sammy." Dean interrupted.

"I just want to know what's going in your head, dude." Sam said.

"My head's not a fun place to be." Dean mumbled.

"Its nice and empty though." Sam joked getting a weak smile from Dean.

"I know you get along good with Jack, actually she reminds a little of you, is that why its so tough?" Sam asked.

"Sam, I don't like seeing anybody get hurt." Dean said trying to shut the conversation down.

"I know but…" Sam trailed off. He wanted his brother to fill in the blanks.

"She's connected to us, knows what we've been through. And unlike Max she's not completely out of her fucking mind. Its just," Dean struggled to get the words out.

"Jack shouldn't have to fucking die because she thought protecting us from her enemies was more important than her safety."

"So your saying going down in a blaze of glory isn't your thing anymore?" Sam asked. He could've shaken Dean when he said those words. How many times had Dean tried to tell Dean the same thing? How times had he tried to get him to stop jumping in front every hit meant for Sam?

"Getting jumped by a team of oversized mosquitoes isn't a blaze of glory." Dean said indignantly. He looked at Sam and shrugged awkwardly.

"I know." Sam said. He reached out and punched Dean's shoulder.

"And your right Jack's not completely crazy, only about half." Sam said smiling.

A beep sounded and her heart rate dropped a digit. Sam's sped up as if to make up for it. It had dropped an hour before too. The doctors said she was still dieing even though she was getting better, it didn't make any sense. He thought about calling the night nurse, they knew them all by name now. Two weeks in a hospital room will make you very familiar with the staff. They were keeping her in the I.C.U. because her injuries were still to severe for her to be moved.

"Missouri is coming in a bit." Dean said out of the blue though he was watching the heart rate machine intently now.

"And you chose now to tell me?" Sam asked dryly.

"Sorry got distracted. The nurses here are hot." Dean said giving a ghost of his usual lecherous smirk.

"She gonna try again?" Sam asked.

"Yup." Dean answered. Missouri had come again a few days after Jack went into the coma to try reading the cards, thinking maybe the proximity would help, but she still came out unclear.

"I'm staying in the room this time. She stole my cookie last time." Dean said picking at his bag of chips.

"That was me." Sam said.

"Bitch."

"Jerk."

Another beep, another digit lower.

* * *

"Can I have an omelet?" Jack asked Chris sweetly.

"Damn it but you can eat. Where the hell do you get that from? I swear your momma barely ate a salad at dinner when she pregnant with you, everything made her sick." Chris said getting up from Momma Fonty's couch to go into the motel kitchenette to make her some food.

"I'm makin up for that." Jack said following him. She stuck close to her uncle as much as possible. She didn't want to miss anything.

"Bet your ass you are." Chris said pulling out the eggs. Jack liked looking at the displaced objects. Things that never existed in the real world all at the same time and place. There was a drawing on the fridge of a puppy she made in Kindergarten and the photo of her mom and dad holding her as a baby. A Native American charm against evil was above that. To guard against bad things like vegetables and whole wheat, Chris told her when they put it there, when she was ten.

"You can't stay here." A female voice said behind her. Jack turned and saw a pretty blonde girl standing behind her in white nightgown.

"Go away." Jack hissed at her. She recognized her, but the details were fuzzy and it hurt to concentrate on them. All she knew was that the woman was trying to take her away from the only place she ever felt safe.

'That's not right, there was somewhere else too….' The thought came unbidden. She pushed it back and ignored the pretty woman.

* * *

"Its like she's trapped inside herself." Missouri said closing her eyes trying to get inside Jack's mind. She concentrated harder, shuffling through the surface memories, trying to find the girl.

"Is it a spell?" Dean asked.

"No, honey. Jack's doing this to herself, that I'm sure of it." Missouri said opening her eyes and shaking her head.

"Herself? Can she do that?" Sam asked.

"She's very strong, Sam." Missouri told him.

"Why?" Dean asked.

"Haven't you ever wanted to run from it all Dean? Hasn't it ever gotten to the point where you can't hold yourself together?" Missouri asked slowly. She was pushing on a sore point with him and she knew it but she wanted to make them both understand.

"Is there anything we can do?" Sam asked. Another beep and two more digits down. The doctors said if it dropped much more she would code again and they didn't think she would survive this time.

"There might be something you can do Sam." Missouri said thinking to herself.

"Me?" Sam asked.

"No the other Sam Winchester." Missouri said sarcastically.

"What can I do?" Sam asked crossing his arms over his chest.

"You're a strong psychic Sam, you just don't know it. Maybe you can reach her, the way you did the first time." Missouri said.

"That was a nightmare. I get premonitions, I'm not a telepath." Sam said.

"You think I don't know that?" Missouri snapped.

"I meant if you went to sleep maybe you could reach her in a dream, like before."

* * *

"You can't stay here Jack, it isn't real. You need to wake up" She said coming around and kneeling in front of Jack so she could see her face. Jack spared her a glance. Her blue eyes were so damned sincere, so sad.

" I don't want to. It hurts out there." Jack said sounding like a whining child and almost hating herself for it. Almost. Chris was working away like he couldn't hear or see the intruder into the dream world.

"You'll die if you don't wake up." The woman said seriously.

"Why do you care?" Jack snapped.

"Because you aren't supposed to die now. Its still out there, there are still people to save." She said softly running her hand through Jack's hair.

"I'm no one's protector." Jack whispered.

"Then why did you run back in for the little girl, her names Ana you know, she's five and she absolutely worships you now." She told Jack smiling. Jack felt a flicker of remembrance, fire and fear, but not her own. Her head was starting to hurt again. She recoiled from the woman's words.

"Why did you save Billy and Tommy when the vampires had them? Why were you willing to put your life on the line to keep Dean and my Sam safe?"

"Your Sam?" Jack asked, too surprised to resent her for forcing the door to these memories open again.

"Before it killed me, we were together. I thought we'd get married someday." She answered without an ounce of self-pity.

"What's your name?" Jack asked her.  
"Jessica. You can call me Jess though." Jessica answered.

"I'm sorry Jess, but I can't help you." Jack told her.

* * *

"You sure about this?" Sam asked nervously. He was sitting at the table, with three sleeping pills and a cup of water in front of him. He had to stay under for awhile to try and reach Jack.

"No." Missouri answered watching the boys. The door to the hospital room was locked and Dean was keeping watch outside the door.

"Thanks." Sam said rolling his eyes. John was sitting in the chair beside Sam's not letting his disapproval go unvoiced.

"What if he goes to sleep and gets there and ends up in a coma too?" John demanded.

"One less mouth to feed." Missouri quipped.

"Not funny." John warned.

The machine beeped again and steeled Sam's resolve, well that and the fact that his father didn't want him to do this. He downed all three sleeping pills in one gulp.

"You're doing the right thing." Missouri told him.

"You're doing the stupid thing." John told him.

"Nurse alert." Dean said through the door. John rose and unlocked the door to let Dean in.

"You alright Sammy?" Dean asked immediately at his brother's side. Sam was blinking dizzily. He was already going on little or no sleep, the pills wouldn't take very long to work.

"I'm okay." Sam said feeling his eyes droop closed. He slumped forward in his chair caught by Dean before he hit the ground. Dean situated his head to rest on the table and looked at his watch. It read 2:00 am.

The night nurse, Rachel, came in right on time.

"How are we tonight?" She asked cheerfully. She frowned when she saw the readouts from the life support.

"Oh dear." She said to herself reading from each machine.

"Its getting worse isn't it?" John asked to keep her attention.

"Yes I'm afraid so. Maybe I should call in the on call doctor." Rachel said frowning.

"He must be very busy." John commented.

"No its a slow night." Rachel said picking up the bedside phone and dialing in the doctors pager number.

"He'll here in a minute." Rachel assured them. Her gaze flickered to Sam who was, for lack of a better word dead to the world. Dean had slumped into the other chair pretending to sleep too.

"Aw. Your boys must love their sister very much. They've barely budged from her bedside." She commented.

"We're a tight knit family." John said trying to unobtrusively guide the nurse out the door.

"Where is her aunt, she hasn't been here in a couple of days?" Rachel asked in a concerned voice.

"She's trying to get some more time off of work to stay here." John told her, relieved he wouldn't have to think up another lie on the spot. Madeleine Keith had used up all her vacation time waiting at the hospital for improvements that never came. She had to fly back home to try and wrangle more time off without telling her boss what was going on.

"If you wouldn't mind ma'am I have some things to discuss with my sons. I think its time we made some hard decisions." John told the nurse softly at the door. He looked down at the ground intently letting his whole body convey grief and despair over the possibility of loosing a child.

"Of course." Rachel said in a hushed pitying tone. She out her hand on his shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze, and damn the woman looked like she was about to cry herself.

"Thank you." John said nodding and closing the door quietly.

"I think she likes you dad." Dean teased. His mood had elevated since Missouri had told them her not-so-master plan of dosing Sam.

"Shut up." John retorted.

* * *

"Jack why are you running?" Jessica asked following Jack around the apartment. Jack was pacing back and forth.

"I'm not running I'm pacing." Jack muttered.

"You know why I mean." Jessica gave her a sour look.

"I'm getting lip from a ghost." Jack said to herself dropping onto the couch.

"I'm not a ghost I'm a spirit, ghost implies I'm haunting someone." Jessica clarified calmly. She was losing her patience, if that was possible.

"Your being a pain in my ass right now." Jack said feeling the strangest urge to stick her tongue out at her.

"You're dieing." Jessica said.

"And your not wearing any shoes." Jack pointed out.

"What does that have to do with anything?" Jessica asked.

"How can I believe someone who doesn't have enough common sense to wear shoes in someone else's subconscious?" Jack asked.

"If I could get headaches you'd be giving me one right now." Jessica told her.

"I get that a lot." Jack said smugly.

* * *

"Is it working?" Dean asked Missouri.

"I'm not getting anything just yet." Missouri said. Suddenly Sam started twitching in his sleep.

"Sam's trying to reach you." Jessica told Jack.

"I'm sure the reunion will be wonderful." Jack said.

"I can't stay any longer." Jessica told her.

"Urgent appointment to get your hair dyed?" Jack asked.

"People need you Jack." Jess said.

"No they do-" Jack started but Jess was already gone, leaving Jack alone with her uncle again.

"Chris." Jack called looking around for him.

"Hmmm?" He asked poking his head out from the bedroom.

"Where were you?" Jack asked.

"Catching up on some sleep." Chris told her. "You alright Sparks?" He asked with concern. He walked over to her and put a hand to her forehead.

"Just a headache buts its going away now." Jack replied smiling.

* * *

Sam didn't have a clue where he was at first. He looked around the house he was in confusion.

"Great, as if this wasn't crazy enough already." He mumbled looking for a door or something. He walked through the house and saw a heavy wooden door. It looked old with an ornate design carved into the wood. He reached for the heavy knob and turned it loudly. The door swung open easily, into a warm, muggy late afternoon. The sun was setting dipping low into the trees. He walked out and started around the side of the big house. He came to a white painted porch and realized where he was. It was the porch from Jack's photo album, the same rocking chair, now empty, the same view to the right of the waterfront. A little rowboat tapping gently against the dock. He was in Jack's memories. Sam ran up the stairs and opened the back door that led from the porch to a huge kitchen.

"Jack!" He called out. "Jack! Where are you?"

* * *

"Jack where are you?" A voice called. Jack started and looked around her.

'No, she thought. I don't want to leave.'

Heavy, fast footsteps were coming closer. She could hear doors opening and closing.

* * *

Sam was opening doors to as he ran through the house looking for Jack. No one was there and at least half of them were locked. Everything was in shadows. He stopped on the second floor landing to catch his breath. He thought back to the exercises Missouri had taught him. He closed his eyes and willed himself to relax. Breathing in and out he tried to let himself be open to what was around him. Like on a hunt when he had to listen for any type of movement.

He felt a pull and walked slowly in the direction it was taking him in. He stopped not of his own accord in and opened his eyes. He was standing in front of a red painted wooden door. Jacqueline was painted in dark blue old fashioned lettering. He tried the knob tentatively. It was unlocked.

The front door swung open and Jack saw Sam standing there, looking infinitely relieved to see her. The feeling was not mutual. He walked into her discombobulated apartment looking around at the shifting nature of it in confusion.

"What is this?" He asked more to himself than her.

"You need to leave." Jack told him. She felt the temperature rise in the room responding to her anger.

"Jack you need to wake up, you were attacked. And you're in the hospital, in a coma." Sam told her hurriedly.

"Well aren't I special. Think they'll feature me in Days of Our Lives." Jack snarked.

"This is serious, Jack. You're dieing." Sam said trying to reach out and pull her up from her seat.

"I want to stay here." Jack got up and pulled her arm away heading back into the kitchen.

"Why do you want to stay here?" Sam asked looking around him. The whole place was making him feel nervous and edgy, things kept changing and blurring.

"Chris is here." Jack said sitting down.

"But Jack it isn't real. He's gone." Sam said gently, kneeling in front of her the way Jessica had before. He took her face in his hand to make her look at him. Fear and sadness permeated her formerly happy space and she resented that.

"Stop it." She told him pulling away stubbornly.

"No! You have to wake up Jack. People are worried sick about you. Its been two weeks." Sam said forcefully.

"Get out." Jack ground out.

"No." He shook his head.

"Get out of my Head!" Jack screamed pushing him backward. She'd never used her power on a human on purpose, she didn't even know if she could from here.

"Sam!" Dean's voice rang through her head.

"Not yet." Sam said to himself. He grabbed Jack's arm and dragged her out of the kitchen back into the living room. A man was standing in the living room this time. Chris looked past Sam and straight at Jack, he cocked his head to the side in concern.

* * *

"Sam! Wake up!" Dean was shaking his brother awake. Sam had started shaking, practically seizing.

Jack flat lined and a wave of terror washed over Dean. Missouri had made it very clear that she didn't know what would happen if Jack died while Sam was trying to reach her. For all she knew he could die too.

"Damnit!" John cursed.

"Sir you need to move!" A doctor told him as the room was filled with medical personnel.

"Dean grab Sam!" John ordered stepping fast out of the way of the crash cart.

* * *

"It isn't real, Jack! He's not real." Sam said shaking Jack. She pulled away from him and faced Chris. She felt an unexpected wave of anguish.

"Why did you leave me!" She screamed at him. "I needed you. Why did you have to die!"

He didn't respond, he didn't move. He wasn't the man who raised her, not at all. She felt like she was watching him die all over again. The pain was too much to bear.

"I want to wake up now." She whispered.

* * *

"Sammy, please!" Dean pleaded as he dragged Sam's shaking form out into the hallway with Missouri's help.

Sam's eyes snapped open and he jerked out of their hold falling to the ground.

"Is he okay?" One of the nurses asked.

"He's fine." Dean barked kneeling in front of him. He was forgotten when she was called into Jack's room to help.

"Sam? Sammy?" John leaned down to check Sam's pulse. It was beating fast but strong.

"You alright man?" Dean asked him. Sam coughed and nodded, tears were running down his cheeks and he was pale as a ghost.

"I'm never doing that again." He croaked.

"Never." John promised.

"How's Jack? Did it work?" He asked. They glanced at her room and he followed their gaze.

"No." He said. He watched in horror as they used the paddles again and again on her.

* * *

"She's gone."

"Yeah."

"I can't believe she's really gone."

"I know."

"I mean she was so beautiful, its just…wrong."

"Damnit will you shut up about your fucking bike already?"

Jack glared at Sam. As he pushed her wheel chair towards the exit to the hospital.

"Don't listen to him Jackie Girl, he just doesn't understand the relationship between man and machine." Dean told her sympathetically. "Or woman and machine in this case."

"You're both insane." Sam said pushing her along hiding a smile.

After her brush with death Jack had regained consciousness. The first thing she did was tell Dean he looked like shit and threatened to skin Sam if he ever dipped into her mind again. Then she asked for food and barely stopped eating since then. She made it very clear that questions about her breakdown were strictly forbidden. Three weeks later she was allowed to leave, Dean said it was because with her hitting on all the male nurses and him on all the female nurses no work was getting done. Missouri said that the hospital already had one trash compacter and didn't need another one in Jack's bottomless stomach.

"You're a pain in the ass Jack." Madeleine said at the entrance.

"Fuck I want my coma back." Jack said.

"I'm not hear to drag you back to Louisiana. I'm here using the last sick day I'll have for the next three or four years, to see that you make it across town in one piece." Madeleine said.

"We'll keep her out of trouble." Dean said.

"Yeah, right, says the man who refereed the wheelchair races in the cancer ward three days ago." Madeleine said rolling her eyes.

"It was the championship, I had to make sure Sammy won fair and square." Dean said feigning innocence. Sam blushed with embarrassment, he still wasn't quite sure how he got talked into that one.

They wheeled out the automatic doors and Sam went ahead to bring the car around. That was when Jack heard a high pitched squeal of delight. Seconds later a five year old was in her lap hugging the living daylights out of her.

"Ana, be careful." A dark haired woman appeared and peeled her daughter off of Jack.

Jack took the opportunity to glare at Dean over the little girl's shoulder. Then she put on her best smile and hoped she didn't look as awkward as she felt.

"Your brother said I could speak with you before you left." The mother told her smiling tearfully at Jack.

"Really?" Jack said through her teeth keeping her smile in place.

"My name is Mary Morales, and this is my daughter Ana," The woman said introducing herself. "I wanted to thank you for saving my little girl. I don't know what I would-" The woman's voice cracked before she could finish talking.

'I hate you.' Jack mouthed at Dean when Mary smothered her in an awkward hug, mindful of the cast on her leg and the light bandages still on her left arm.

"Your welcome?" Jack responded awkwardly. Sam saved her then by pulling up in the car.

"I guess you have to go now." Mary said regretfully.

"Yup." Jack said trying to push herself up out of the wheelchair.

"Now sis you take it easy." Dean said with that shit eating grin on his damn face. She vowed revenge on him then and there.

Sam brought her crutches to her and smacked Dean upside the head.

"What the hell dude?" Dean asked.

"Stop being an ass." Sam said.

"I hope you get better." Ana said suddenly giving Jack's good leg a hug.

"Thanks kiddo." Jack said ruffling the little girl's hair affectionately. A couple more awkward hugs and vow of life long debt to her and Jack was safely in the back seat of the car. Madeleine was following in her own car.

"Your an ass." She told Dean.

"Hey, if I put a magnet on the back of your head will it stick?" Dean asked looking at her in rearview mirror.

"I know what'll happen if you try." Jack said sweetly.

"Stop fighting children." Sam muttered.

**TBC…………**

**AN: Wow this chapter took hours, I think my fingers are going to fall off from typing. You all better appreciate this :D. Its not done yet though. I've still got at least two chappies for my readers to devour but right now I'm just gonna rest for a bit. Till tomorrow.**

**BTW, The character death was the motorcycle. ;) I couldn't resist the bit of torture. Told ya I was a sadist.**


	19. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer: Too tired to write a disclaimer but y'all know the drill.**

_Ma Petite Enflamme,_

_Dear Jacqueline,_

_If you're reading this then I'm already dead. Either that or your curiosity got the better of you and you opened this prematurely. In that case you owe me fifty bucks, darling._

_If it is the first though, I want you to know that I love you very much and that I'm proud of you Jack. You're smart, strong, kind and brave, I honestly don't know where you learned these traits because it wasn't from me. I've spent the past fifteen years trying to protect you, teach you and keep the things haunting our lives away from you. But I've often wondered if I did right by you, giving you this rootless existence. I've wondered what your father would think of all the running and secrecy. But I'm not one for empty regrets. I can't change the past, I can just hope I gave you the skills to survive after I'm gone._

_Enclosed in this envelope is an ATM card with a bit of money I saved for you on it, you parents anniversary is the pin number, and yes I'm aware that I'm all kinds of soft and pathetic for making that the number but shut the fuck up about it, alright. Also… A key to a safety deposit box in Oklahoma City. Inside are some things you should know, should've know all along._

_We've never been the types of people who display their emotions for all the world to see. I love you. I should have said it more when I had the chance. I tried to keep your parent's memory alive in you. They were good people, great people. I hate to leave you, the thought kills me. But I don't want you crying over me. And if I was killed by someone or something do not throw your life away for an act of revenge. It wont bring me back. I mean it Jack. Just throw me in the ground, down a shot for me and fight the good fight like you were meant too._

_Love,_

_Christopher Fontenot_

Jack finished reading, running her fingers over the worn lettering as she sat on the back porch watching the sunset. She sat on the railing with her leg stretched out in front of her.

"You barely make it out of that crash but the damn back pack comes out with barely a tear in it." John said walking out the door to join her on the porch.

"JanSport, they do good work." Jack replied folding her letter carefully and putting it back in her indestructible bag. John nodded and leaned against the railing. Jack watched him for a moment then turned her attention back to the pretty view. It was a habitual silence between the two of them, something they'd grown comfortable with over the last few weeks.

"When?" She asked.

"A couple of days. You guys will follow me as far as Topeka, then we'll split up." John answered. He'd told his sons days before that they'd be splitting up soon causing a knock down drag out fight between him and Sam. It didn't change anything, just ended with Sam being pulled one way and John the other. After they both cooled off John assured his son's that it wouldn't be like before. He'd call them regularly, tell them what was going on. It wasn't an ideal arrangement but he made it that clear it was going to happen.

"You really think that's what's best?" Jack asked carefully. She had made no secret about her opinions on finding other families connected to the Demon, it usually ended in an argument and she didn't want that today.

John gave her an obvious look that said not to push it with him. Instead she picked up a newspaper she'd been reading earlier.

"Odd disappearances plague sleepy town of Poplar Grove, Illinois." She read out loud. He turned and raised an eyebrow at her. She shrugged.

"Thought you weren't a hunter." He said somewhat smugly.

"Eh, it could be fun." Jack said flippantly.

"Its not fun, its dangerous and you better stay on your guard if your gonna do this." John lectured sternly.

"Geez, dad you really don't know how to recruit do ya?" Sam asked coming outside. He took the newspaper from Jack's hands and read over the article.

"Find us a gig Sam?" Dean asked from the doorway.

"Jack might've." Sam replied..

"Taking a minor to demon hunt." Dean said making a tsk tsk noise. She swatted him on the arm, nearly falling off her seat in the process.

"Careful now." He smirked.

"Quit calling me a damn minor, its only for a few more months. Then I'll be good and legal." Jack said. "Good thing I'll have you guys around to celebrate properly." She waggled her eyebrows suggestively.

"Damnit you got a dirty mind." Dean told her.

"You should talk, you flirt with anything with two legs and a pulse." Sam snorted.

"You wish Sammy." Dean retorted.

"Hmm." Jack said studying Sam.

"What?" He asked her frowning.

"Your eye twitches every time someone calls you 'Sammy'." Jack pointed out.

"Nuhuh." Sam said.

"Impressive legal argument Sammy." John said snorting a laugh when Sam's eye twitched of its own accord.

"See it just did!" Jack said pointing at his eye. "If you don't like it tell 'em not call you that."

"I tried, I've came to accept that I'm never gonna shake that damn nickname." Sam said glaring at his father and brother.

"Ah, the Five Stages of Nicknaming." Jack said.

"Yeah Denial, Complaining, Bitching, Moaning and Acceptance." Dean said teasingly.

"Shut up." Sam told them.

"Relax Sammy." Jack said laughing when his eye twitched. He slapped a hand over it and turned to his father.

"You see what your leaving me with Dad?" He demanded pointing to Jack and Dean.

"You'll live." John said patting him on the back.

"Come on we gotta go soon." Dean said tapping a beat out on Jack's cast, which she was due at to get taken off at the hospital that night.

"I think the docs will be surprised we're coming in one piece." Sam said handing Jack her crutches.

"I can break your nose for ya, say your a battered wife." Jack told him.

"That's battered lesbian life partner." Dean corrected.

"Dad." Sam whined.

"Stop teasing Sam you two." John said rolling his eyes.

"Yes sir." Dean said echoed by Jack.

"Come on to the Batmobile." Jack said limping ahead of them through the kitchen door. She couldn't wait to get the damn cast off her leg it was a pain in the ass.

"I get to be Batman." Dean called it.

"I don't think Sam will fit in the green Robin tights." Jack said looking the tall man up and down speculatively.

Sam held the car door open and helped Jack into the backseat he was dangerously close to buckling her into the seat when she gave him a look. He had a hard time not handling her with kid gloves since her release from the hospital.

"Thanks Sam." Jack said giving him a small smile which he returned before climbing into the front passenger seat.

"We take off in a couple of days." He said as Dean started the car.

"Yup." Dean said impassively. Those were the last words they said till they got to the hospital.

* * *

"Its healed very well." The doctor told them as he examined her x-ray.

"You'll have to take it easy for awhile and you might need to use the crutches for a few more days till you get used to walking on it again." He cautioned her. She nodded eagerly wanting to leave so she could run or turn cartwheels, anything the involved both legs, without getting a disapproving look from the hospital staff.

"I guess we can't park in the disabled spots anymore now." Dean said mournfully.

"You weren't supposed to before!" Jack said laughing. She hobbled out of the hospital doors waiting till they were close to the car before letting dropping her crutches to the ground. She did a clumsy victory dance and grinned.

"Its good to have my legs back. I was going crazy." She said trying to regain her balance. She gave up and took the crutches Sam offered. He laughed at her and mussed her hair. He winced when his hand brushed the bald spot at the base of her skull where they'd had to operate.

"I guess I'll have a tough time going through airport security from now on." She said pulling on an end of hair.

"We don't fly, Dean's a scared of planes." Sam said looking wickedly at his brother.

"Dude!" Dean said.

"Seriously?" Jack asked in shock.

"Yup." Sam said.

"So if I ever want to get something from you all I have to do is threaten you with frequent flyer miles." Jack said musingly.

"I have a gun and I know how to use it." Dean warned.

"I'm a cripple you can't shoot me." She protested.

"Former cripple." He corrected.

"Shotgun." Jack said claiming the front seat from Sam.

"This could take some getting used to." Sam mumbled crawling into the backseat. He hadn't had to do that since he was a kid. He wondered how things would change with Jack coming on the hunt with them. He looked up to see her watching him in the rearview mirror.

"If you say something mushy like you always wanted a little sister I'll think I'll jump from the car while its moving." Jack told him.

"Nah I wanted a puppy though." Sam told her.

"Woof" She said sarcastically.


	20. Chapter 20

**Epilogue**

"Please."

"No."

"Come on, he doesn't have to know." Jack pleaded.

"If I let you drive Dean will kick my ass." Sam said looking straight ahead at the road as they followed John's pickup. Dean was in the backseat sleeping off his personal Farewell to Kansas bender from the night before. Jack was quiet for so long that Sam looked over at her and instantly regret it. She was giving him her best Bambi eyes, her lower lip trembling just a little bit.

Ten minutes later he was in passenger seat and she was starting the car ecstatically.

"You know it isn't fair, thathe got to go out and we had to stay behind and clean the weapons." Jack said conversationally.

"I still don't know how he played that one." Sam told her. She slid a sidelong glance at him and grinned evilly.

"What?" He asked smiling back at her wondering what she was thinking.

She didn't say anything, just reached for the buttons on the radio, changing it from the classic rock station playing softly to a station playing what Dean would call 'alternative emo shit'. Then she turned the volume as loud as it could go. Dean jumped hitting his head on the roof of the car.

"What the fuck Sam!" He demanded rubbing his aching head. Sam was laughing too hard to worry about Dean seeing Jack driving his beloved car.

"Sam?" Dean asked again rubbing his eyes. He looked at the drivers seat and instead of seeing his brother's head nearly touching the roof of the car he saw a head of red hair.

"Why the hell is she driving?" He demanded.

"What I can't hear you?" Jack said tapping her ear. Dean reached for the volume button and she swerved to the left of the road, causing Dean to fall back in his seat.

"Don't do that you'll distract me and I could crash." Jack scolded him. Dean growled at her and tried again. Jack swerved wider coming close to a telephone pole. Dean panicked at the thought of his car being hurt and stared wildly from her to Sam who was laughing madly.

* * *

John watched the car behind him swerve and took out his cell phone dialing Dean's number.

"Dean what the hell is going on back there?" John demanded. Music was pounding in the background so he barely hear anything.

"Dad, Jack won't let me change the station and Sam's laughing at me." Dean told him. John winced at the whiny tone his twenty seven year old was using.

"You told on us!" Jack's incredulous voice said. The car swerved again in the mirror.

"Stop trying to reach up here!" She was saying with laughter in her voice.

"Hey!" John yelled to be heard over the din.

"Stop messing around. Haven't we spent enough time in the hospital lately? Don't make pull over this car and come back there" John ordered. He heard Dean relay the message smugly and the volume decreased several notches on the radio.

John flipped closed the phone and thanked his lucky stars he was going in another direction later. They were driving him crazy.

The End (for now)

**AN: Thanks to everyone for all the great reviews and feedback. I really appreciate it. I'll be writing more stories about Sam, Dean and Jack soon, I promise.**


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